Out of the cage: Sometimes you don’t need a leash to bind two beings together.

Todd Abernathy spent three weeks in a cage. Experimented on by scientists, he retreated deep

into his wolf to survive. The night of his rescue, the scent of his mate was the only thing that
convinced him to return to human form. Small for a wolf shifter, it didn’t surprise Todd when his
brother Phillip insisted on joining the local wolf pack with him. His larger, younger half-brother had
felt responsible for him since puberty. But Phillip couldn’t help him find the mate he’d scented, and
when Todd finally figured out that Detective Lyle Sullivan was the man he was searching for, the
human had been captured by the same men who’d experimented on Todd.

Lyle’s escape almost comes too late, because the experiments done to him scramble his DNA,

nearly killing him. The only way to save Lyle is to complete the experimental procedure the scientists
started on him. Todd’s relief that the recovering Lyle recognizes him as his mate is short-lived. Lyle
starts exhibiting increasingly aggressive and dangerous tendencies. Can Todd find a way to help his
mate accept what’s happening to him and teach him how to co-exist with the new creature living
inside his mind? Or will Lyle lose himself to the beast and force his friends to put him down?

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Finding Balance

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Finding Balance Wolves of Stone Ridge Five
By
Charlie Richards

For the impatient ones…you know who you are. Thanks for the pushing!

Chapter One

“W

ho is he?”

Lyle forced the words out of his dry, scratchy throat and struggled to keep conscious long enough

to wait for the answer. Every time he’d managed to drag his mind to wakefulness, he’d seen the cute
brunet that reminded him of an angel. Sometimes he’d be singing softly to Lyle, holding his hand.
Sometimes he’d be reading a book to him, although he couldn’t remember even one of the stories.
And sometimes, like now, he’d be curled up in a chair by Lyle’s bed fast asleep.

But he didn’t know the man.

“His name is Todd Abernathy.” Doctor Ailean Carmichael crossed the small room and started
checking equipment. “Welcome back,” he added with a smile.
Lyle barely managed to crinkle his brow, but even that movement sent pain coursing through his skull.
He couldn’t place the name. “Should I know him?” The idea that he’d lost some of his memories in
the hellhole he’d been kept in for however long it was sent spikes of panic through him.
Monitors beeped and Ailean spun from where he was reading vitals and leaned over Lyle. He found
his gaze pinned by the shifter’s light brown eyes. “Take slow, deep breaths. You’ve never met him.
He’s pack.”
Pack. And he’d never met him. Relief slowly seeped into Lyle and his eyes slid closed. “What’s he
doing here?” he scraped out. Then he forced his eyes back open as he stared at Todd in a new light.
“He looks a little small to be a bodyguard.”
Ailean chuckled, straightening. “He’s not a bodyguard.” Ailean followed Lyle’s gaze and stared at
Todd. “Todd is one of the shifters you all rescued from the warehouse,” he explained. “He stayed in
the area because he recognized his mate’s scent. It just took him a while to find you.”
His head swam and he swallowed hard. What the hell is Ailean telling me?“Huh?”
A spoon filled with a couple ice chips appeared before him. He opened, gratefully accepting the
offering. He rolled the ice around his mouth twice before letting it settle on his tongue and slowly
melt. It hurt to swallow the liquid, but the moisture was well worth the discomfort.
“Todd is convinced you’re his mate, Lyle, and from the way you’ve been reacting to his presence, I
believe he’s correct,” Ailean said, holding out another spoonful of ice.
“I’ve been unconscious. I haven’t been awake to react,” he denied before taking the offered ice again.
“Sometimes, how we respond unconsciously is very telling,” Ailean commented. “You’re much
calmer when Todd’s here, and since he refuses to leave, it has worked out very well.”
He could feel his eyes getting heavy again. He wouldn’t be able to stay awake much longer. Lyle
decided he’d try to figure out the whole mate issue later. “How long?” he managed to ask.
Ailean grimaced. “You were held captive for two weeks. You were in Colin City Hospital for seven
days. We moved you to Declan and Lark’s place two days ago, which is when I stopped giving you
sedatives. Grady will be pleased you’ve finally woken. We were getting concerned.” Moving away,
he checked the monitors again before crossing back to him. “Are you in any pain? How do you…
feel?”
The way the doctor asked the questions raised Lyle’s internal alarms, but he was too tired to work it
out. “Like I’ve been fucked, and not in a good way. So cold,” he muttered, shivering. His eyes slid
closed. He felt the weight of another blanket being settled and tucked around him, warming him.
There was so much to think about, but he needed a nap first. Just a short one.

The next time he woke, itching pain radiated up his left arm. It felt worse than the nasty bout of

poison oak he’d had when he was twelve. He’d never thought anything could sting that badly. He was
wrong, and Lyle immediately began to rub the offending skin against the blanket. It didn’t help.
Grunting in frustration, he pried his eyes open and stared at the irritated flesh.

His eyes widened in shock and he couldn’t hold in the startled squeak. His breathing picked up as

panic shot through him. “Doc!” he screamed. “Doc!” He jerked forward, pulling wires and setting off
monitors.

Hands instantly gripped his shoulders, easing him back down onto the bed. Beautiful brown eyes

filled with concern captured his gaze, and the face of the man he thought of as his guardian angel
stared down at him. “Easy, love,” the man crooned. “Everything is fine.”

“Angel,” he gasped. Even as he allowed Todd to settle him back on the bed, he tore his gaze away

and stared down at the brownish green skin covering the entire inside of his forearm and palm of his
left arm. “What’s wrong with me?”

Fingers feathered through his hair, massaging his scalp. “Nothing. Nothing’s wrong with you,”

Todd assured.
Lyle shook his head in disbelief, opening his mouth to protest. The door slamming open cut him off.
Lark rushed into the room while a wide-eyed Sara hovered in the doorway. Reaching the bed, Lark
slid to a stop and stared down at him.
“Holy shit. You scared the life out of us. What’s wrong?” he asked, his gaze sweeping over him.
“What’s wrong?” Lyle snapped. He glanced between the two men, taking in Lark’s confused look and
Todd’s worried expression. “This, Doc! What the fuck is this?” He turned his arm over and lifted his
arm. “Oh my god,” he gasped, seeing that the crusty skin now extended up the inside of his elbow as
well.
Panic hit again and he feverishly scratched at the itchy skin. When he realized he could hardly feel his
nails on the strange rough texture, his breathing escalated and he couldn’t stop the howl of distress.
Lark spun around, muttering a curse as he grabbed for a vial, needle and syringe. “Hang on,” he
grunted, inserting the needle into the port and dispensing it. “Focus on your mate,” he ordered.
Lyle frowned, the words distracting him. Does everyone know about this mate thing but me? He
turned and glared at Todd. He opened his mouth, but Todd beat him to it.
“I can explain,” he said, his tone smooth and soothing. “Right now I need you to listen. You have to
calm down.”
He wanted to tell Todd exactly what he thought of that idea, but the words stuck in his throat. How the
hell am I supposed to calm down when I have some kind of itchy skin irritation spreading over my
arm?
Todd gripped his head and forced him to focus on his handsome face. “Take a slow, deep breath,” he
ordered. “Then close your eyes and focus on the sound of my voice.”
Seconds later, Lyle found himself following Todd’s orders. “Good,” the beautiful man whispered.
“Now think about your job at the office.” His crinkling brow must have alerted Todd to his confusion
because he kept talking. “You’re sitting at your desk. You’re filling out paperwork. You’re typing
information into your computer.”
To his surprise, as he visualized himself working on the mundane tasks that made up the behind-the-
scenes work of a detective, his breathing slowed and calm filled him. Slowly, the itching faded and
relief flooded his body.
“There. That’s better,” Lark whispered.
Lyle pried his eyes back open to find a concerned smile curving Todd’s lips. Fighting the fatigue that
tried to swamp him again, he moved his head and looked at his arm. The odd rash had disappeared.

“What happened?” he asked, frowning. “What’d ya give me, Doc?”
“Only a sedative to help you relax,” Lark said, lifting a brow as he tilted his chin toward Todd.
The pretty brunet’s smile turned sad. He cupped Lyle’s jaw and kissed his forehead. “Those scientists
made changes to your body, my mate. Nothing life threatening, now that Drake corrected what they
gave you,” he hurried to explain, “but you’re a shifter now. You’ll need to learn to…control…the
animal that will slowly emerge.”
“Holy shit!” he hissed. “A shifter?” His heart began to race again as he glanced between the men.
“How the hell did that happen? What kind?”
Todd’s hand rifling through his hair calmed him, and wasn’t that just the damnedest thing?
“We’re not sure. It’s a bit of a long story, and when you’re feeling up to it, we’ll explain everything.”
The man’s soft voice lulled his senses and Lyle felt himself begin to drift again. “Humans can’t be
turned into shifters,” he murmured after a moment. “Grady told me so.” The hand paused for just a
second, but it was enough to cut through his lethargy.
“I’m sorry, love,” Todd’s soft voice whispered. “Someone’s found a way to change that.”
Lyle’s eyes snapped back open. “You’re lying,” he snarled. A rage he’d never felt before filled him.
“I’m not a shifter. I’m a human being. A detective.” He shoved off the man’s hand and tried to force
his body into a sitting position. This is crazy! He had to get out of here. He had to find Grady. His
partner would give him straight answers.
To his surprise, his legs and arms responded with no problem. The colors of the objects in the room
began to subtly change, brightening, tones becoming more vivid. He suddenly felt stronger, more sure.
He moved to swing his legs over the side of the bed.
“Shit, he’s starting to shift.”
He ignored Lark’s ridiculous words and tried to stand. Strong arms wrapped around him from behind,
trying to force him back down on the bed. He growled and struggled, trying to get away. A lean chest
pressed against his back and a heady, earthy scent filled his nostrils. He stilled and turned his head,
inhaling more deeply the smell of the man behind him. His cock stirred, filling quickly, thickening and
tenting the hospital gown he wore.
Turning in Todd’s grip, he met the wide-eyed, shocked gaze of the man who held him. “Nice,” Lyle
growled, his voice rougher than he’d ever heard it.
With a burst of strength, fueled by his sudden lust, Lyle twisted around and pinned Todd onto the bed.
“You smell good.” His hands skimmed over the slender form under him while he rubbed his
throbbing cock against the man’s thigh. “I want you.” He’d never been ruled by his dick before, but
burying his shaft inside this angel’s body seemed to be the most important thing in the world right
then, and fuck the others in the room.
“Okay,” Todd replied, his breath coming in rough pants.
A feral growl rumbled through his chest as excitement unlike any other coursed through his body.
When Todd tilted his head in obvious submission, Lyle buried his face in the smaller man’s neck and
started nibbling a wet line up the tendons. Lyle slid a hand down Todd’s side, finding toned skin
stretched over ribs and firm abs.
Suddenly, a sharp sting shot through his shoulder. He snapped his head up and growled at Lark, who
was just pulling a needle from his body. Before he could move, darkness swamped him and he
collapsed on top of his sexy angel.

Chapter Two

odd let out a strangled breath as Lyle’s full weight settled over him. His gaze met Lark’s worried

blue eyes, and the two men maneuvered the detective off him. Grunting, he slid off the bed and helped
right his mate under the covers. He tried to ignore the pressure his suddenly too tight denim applied to
his throbbing cock. He’d so wanted to allow Lyle to have his way with him, but he knew the man
wasn’t actually in control. His animal was. “Are you all right?” Lark asked softly.

Running a hand through his thick dark hair, he nodded then forced a crooked grin. “That was

interesting.
Lark chuckled. “Well, I guess that answers the question about whether or not his animal will come
out, huh? And did you see his eyes? Definitely reptilian.”
“Yeah, but we still don’t know what kind of reptile. After seeing the almost leathery look of his skin,
I sure hope Drake’s right and he’s not a snake!”
“Not a fan of snakes?” Lark teased as he double-checked Lyle’s vitals, making certain the sedative
hadn’t harmed him.
Todd grimaced. “They’re fine, I guess. I just wouldn’t want to wake up next to one,” he admitted.
“Yeah, me neither.”
“How will we convince him he’s now a shifter?” Todd asked, worry lacing his voice.
Lark headed toward the door, Todd following slowly. “He’ll come back around this evening. I’ll ask
the guys to be available to talk to him. Maybe he’ll believe them, since he’s known them for years.”
He wrapped an arm around Sara’s shoulders and gave her a squeeze. “Don’t worry, sweetie.
Everything will be fine.”
Watching from the doorway as the pair made their way down the hall, Todd wished he could believe
that.

Todd was having the best dream. His mate leaned over him, a heated gleam filling his dark

chocolate eyes. Lyle knelt between his legs, unbuttoned his jeans, only to tease Todd by lowering his
zipper with agonizing slowness. Gripping the arms of his chair, he bucked up into the touch, desperate
for pressure on his aching erection, but Lyle jerked his hands away, leaving him wanting.

Letting out a frustrated groan, he begged with his eyes. Lyle gave him a lascivious wink, then

leaned down and took the zipper into his mouth, lowering it the rest of the way.

Heat from Lyle’s breath saturated through his jeans and boxers, sending delicious tingles up his

shaft. A bead of precum leaked from his slit, soaking the fabric stretched around the head of his
sensitive cock. Lyle’s nostrils flared, telling Todd he’d caught the scent of his arousal. The man
pressed his nose against Todd’s groin, breathing deeply as he nudged aside the flaps of his pants to
reveal the slender erection cased in thin fabric.

Todd nearly came when Lyle pulled the head of his cock into his mouth, sucking the pre-cum

through the fabric. His hips bucked convulsively, threatening to unseat Lyle’s mouth. Lyle wrapped
one large hand around Todd’s hip, holding him in place. With the other hand, he fished out Todd’s
dick, sliding his slender rod through the hole of his boxers.

Lyle gave his erection one long, slow lick which sent tingles down to his balls, making them pull

tight to his body. He trembled, trying desperately not to come from just that feeling as he watched
Lyle’s sexy eyes glow with pleasure and desire.

“You want more, angel?” Lyle crooned.

Panting softly, his voice lost to him, Todd could only nod. Lyle grinned at his predicament, a smug

gleam entering

his eyes. As the man lowered his head and opened his mouth, a downstairs door slamming jerked

Todd out of the pleasant dream. To his shock, heat still enveloped his dick and his eyes popped open.

A startled gasp escaped him at the sight before him. Lyle had woken early, slipped out of bed and

now pleasured Todd’s cock. His pants were truly open, his boxers shoved down and Lyle’s hot, wet
mouth sucked hard on his shaft.

“Oh, god, Lyle,” he groaned. “You look so good with your lips around my dick.”

The man between his thighs lifted his gaze to meet his, arching a brow in amusement. Seconds later,
he broke the gaze and swallowed Todd’s cock to the root. He cried out in ecstasy as pleasure shot up
his spine, ricocheted off his skull and slammed back through his body to his balls. He trembled, his
hands convulsing on the grip of the chair as he struggled not to come.
Sensing his impending release, Lyle wrapped large hands under his ass, lifted him from the chair, and
deposited him on the bed, all without releasing Todd’s dick. He couldn’t think, couldn’t breathe, and
sure as hell couldn’t raise any protest when his clothes were torn from his body, literally. He heard
fabric tear and shoes were tossed to gods knew where.
A tongue massaging his glans almost had Todd shooting, but Lyle’s rough hand cupped his nuts and
tugged them away from his body, easing his impending orgasm. Lyle gave one more hard, slow suck
on Todd’s cock and then he let it slip from his lips with an audible pop.
Trying desperately to catch his breath, his eyes widened when he watched Lyle crawl up his body,
eying him like a predator would its prey.
“I want to lick and suck every inch of your gorgeous body, Todd. I want to nibble your flesh and
leave my mark on you.” His voice deepened to a low growl. “I want to spread your ass open and sink
my cock in so deep you’ll feel me in your throat.”
Lyle’s head lowered and he nuzzled Todd’s neck, breathing deeply. Todd tilted his neck, giving the
man greater access to the delicate tendons in his throat, submitting completely to his mate. A shudder
worked through him as he felt Lyle’s tongue lick a long line up his throat. When Lyle settled his
bigger body onto him, chest to chest, thigh to thigh, and cock to cock, he couldn’t hold back a deep
moan and a large dollop of pre-cum oozed from the head of his dick in anticipation.
Rocking his cock against him, their pre-ejaculate oozing between them, Lyle set up a slow, sensuous
grind. It wasn’t nearly enough to get him off, but tremors raced through his body nonetheless, making
it difficult to focus on Lyle’s next words.
“If you don’t want that, angel, stop me now, otherwise in about two minutes this cock,” Lyle thrust his
hips a little harder in emphasis, the friction making Todd’s breath hitch, “is going to be buried deep in
your tight ass.”
“Yes,” he managed to hiss. “Please, Lyle. Sink your thick cock inside me. I want to feel it splitting me
wide open.”
A deep growl rumbled through the chest of the man above him. Lyle’s eyes gleamed with heat and
need. For a second they shifted, revealing the vertical slit of his animal. Then Lyle blinked, and his
eyes once again returned to their human shape.
Before Todd could gather enough thought to question Lyle, the man’s hips began moving again,
grinding against him in swift glides, his intention clear. “Come for me, my lovely.” His head lowered
and nuzzled his cheek for several thrusts before Lyle nibbled and sucked on the sensitive skin below
Todd’s ear. “Then I’m going to line your hole with your sweet cream. I’m going to use it to stretch
your ass, and with your semen soothing the way, I’m going to bury my dick in you.”
The erotic images his mate’s words created sent Todd over the edge, his breath leaving him in a long,

low groan.
Lyle continued to grind against him, his movements encouraging even more cum to shoot from his
cock. When he finally stopped coming, three ejaculates later, he felt like his balls had been drained
and turned inside out, and it was the best feeling he’d had in so, so long.
His eyes slipped closed and his breathing labored as he floated in post-orgasmic bliss. His senses
barely registered when Lyle shifted above him, bent Todd’s knees and forced his thighs wider.
“Look at me, Todd,” Lyle ordered gruffly.
Todd pried his eyes open. He grinned at the burning lust he saw glowing in Lyle’s dark eyes. His
mate may not yet believe he was a shifter, but Lyle felt the mating pull regardless. Todd’s cock
twitched as blood once again flowed south and began to fill his shaft again. He gripped the backs of
his thighs, spreading himself open even further as he pulled his legs to either side of his chest.
Lyle rocked back to his knees, one hand languidly stroking his thick, eight-inch dick as he looked his
fill. Todd blushed, his gaze riveted to the hand holding the cock he desperately wanted to fill him.
“What a truly stunning sight you are, Todd, all spread out and wanton for me. Your cum glistens on
your curls and abs. Your body flushed from pleasure.”
A smug smile flooded Lyle’s features with hunger as he ran the fingertip of his free hand up Todd’s
renewed cock, tracing the throbbing vein. “You’re hard again just at the idea of me sinking my thick
dick into your tight ass, aren’t you? Do you want this, lovely?” he asked, waving his cock like a flag
for a second. “Do you want this filling you?”
Lyle fell silent, and jerking his gaze upward to meet his hot stare, Todd realized the man actually
expected an answer. He had to swallow twice before working enough moisture into his throat to
answer. “Yes.”
His smile turned into a grin. “You want my cum to spill in you? Fill you up?”
This time he answered without hesitation, the dirty talk making him even hotter and loosening his
tongue. “Yes, Lyle. I want that. My hole aches for you to shove your perfect cock inside and split me
open,” he whispered. “I want to feel it move inside me. Let me clench my muscles around you and
milk your cock to completion. I want to feel your cum flood my ass, feel it drip out of my hole and
down my thighs, marking me as yours.”
From the way Lyle paused in stroking his shaft, Todd worried he’d said too much, gone too far. He
fervently prayed Lyle wouldn’t stop now. Then Lyle let out a hiss, scooped up a dollop of Todd’s
cum and rubbed it over the muscles guarding his back door. A cry of pleasure-pain burst from Todd’s
throat as Lyle slipped one finger into his ass. It wasn’t enough.
“More. Please, more. I need…”
Lyle cut off his pleading by scooping up more cum and shoving two fingers all the way into Todd as
far as they could go. Shouting his pleasure, he relished the burn as his mate began to quickly work him
open. He loved the bite of pain, the sting shooting through his system, telling him another fondled him
with urgency.
He’d had lovers in the past refuse to give him that bit of pain-pleasure he craved so much, not
understanding his needs. To have his mate fulfill that deep-seated desire without even needing to be
asked assured Todd all the more that Fate knew what she was doing.
“Need you now, angel.”
The strangled words returned Todd to the moment, and he forced his unconsciously writhing body to
still as he looked up into Lyle’s tormented gaze. “Take me now.” He rolled his hips, lifting them
higher, presenting himself to his mate as best he could in this position.
Spitting into his palm, Lyle wet his cock before guiding it to Todd’s stretched hole. Without further

words, Lyle pressed hard against his offered ass, popping the head of his cock past his guardian
muscle. But he didn’t stop there, instead continuing in one long, forceful glide until he rested balls
deep in Todd’s ass. “That’s what I needed,” he growled, freezing inside Todd, Lyle’s forehead
pressed to his.
After several seconds, where Todd wanted to scream for Lyle to move, even as he prayed for him to
remain just like that for eternity, Lyle did something even better. His eyes opened, and holding Todd’s
gaze, he pressed their lips together in their first kiss. It was hot and hungry, filled with all the passion
and need their joined bodies begged for.

Chapter Three

s he plundered the smaller man’s mouth, Lyle kept his gaze fixed on Todd’s eyes, staring into their

lovely brown depths. What is it about this man that calls to me so much? The second he’d woken,
turned his head, and spotted the sexy brunet sleeping in the chair, the erection that had subsided due to
whatever sleeping concoction Lark had injected him with had reared back to life with a vengeance. If
that damn fool doctor hadn’t stopped me earlier, how many positions could I have taken Todd in
already?

As his tongue stroked and dueled with Todd’s, his brain began to shut down, and he relished the

sensations rocking through his body, reminding him that he was alive and healthy. With his cock
buried in the man’s hot ass, his explored every inch of his new lover’s mouth, enjoying every
discovery. He couldn’t wait to do this to the rest of Todd, learning everything about him. What made
him moan, what made him laugh, and most important, what made him lose his mind to shattering
orgasm.

Finally, in spite of the fact that he loved the way the man beneath him wriggled and clutched at

him, trying to get him to move as he held him pinned and at his mercy, his throbbing dick could no
longer be ignored. Lyle broke the kiss, and staring deep into Todd’s light brown eyes, began a slow
thrust and retreat. His body shuddered, pleasure radiating out from his cock, as the tight muscles
surrounding him squeezed and rippled.

Lyle thrust faster and faster into the sexy man below him. A curious sensation rippled up his

spine, one he’d never felt before. His jaw tingled and his teeth began to ache. His vision did the
strange brightening thing that had happened earlier. A gasp from Todd had him focusing on the hot
man under him, and Lyle froze.

The lust in Todd’s eyes was tempered by shock. The man’s hard, dripping shaft oozing against his

abs told Lyle he wasn’t hurting his mate, so…Mate? Where did that come from? Then he
remembered. Ailean and Lark had mentioned it when he’d woken. When had that been?

“Don’t stop. Please, don’t stop,” Todd groaned. “You’re so sexy when your eyes shift. I love

knowing you lose control from the pleasure my body gives you.”

Lyle blinked, and his eyesight returned to normal. He wanted to ask what Todd was talking about,

but the heavy ache in his balls made him want something else first. He began to move again, the
warm, wet friction on his cock coupled with the way Todd’s muscles clenched around him had him at
the brink in seconds.

Wanting Todd to come again, and knowing his lover seemed to like a bit of pain with his

pleasure, he gave in to the unfamiliar desire to mark the man and buried his face in Todd’s neck. He
nibbled the salty, sweaty skin, enjoying Todd’s shudders as much as the light, masculine scent and
flavor of the man. Lyle bit Todd, not hard enough to break skin, but hard enough to leave teeth marks
on the man’s neck.

Todd gasped, his body tensing for just a second below him, before he jerked and howled like the

wolf Lyle knew he was. The feel and smell of Todd’s cum flooded the space between them. Todd’s
rectum tightened even further, strangling his dick in delicious pressure. Unable to hold back, Lyle
thrust twice more. His cock swelled, his balls contracted, and his cum spurted into the confines of
Todd’s ass as Lyle’s body shuddered. His arms tightened convulsively, holding Todd tighter to him,
and he emptied everything he had into the man.

It took several minutes before his senses began to return, and he realized he clutched Todd tighter

than he should. If he weren’t a shifter, he’d probably have broken the man’s spine. When he finally
lifted his head, the warm smile on Todd’s face sent relief flooding through him. He hadn’t hurt him.
The fact that he never wanted to hurt this man, when it popped into his head, sent surprise and
confusion through him. He’d never felt that way about a lover before.

His softening dick slid from the warm confines of the body beneath him, distracting him, and

making another fact broadside him. “Oh my god, Todd. I’m so sorry! I didn’t even think about using a
condom. Please forgive me,” he pleaded. He couldn’t remember a time when he’d been so careless.
Careful had always been Lyle’s middle name!
“It’s okay—”

Lyle shook his head, interrupting the man. “No. I should have had more control than that,” he

growled, shamed by his behavior. “I have no idea what I could have gotten from all those tests those
scientists did on me. I should never have put you in danger that way.”

Todd sighed and dropped his head on the pillow, his soft brown eyes sad. “First, you know I’m a

shifter. Shifters can’t get most human diseases. Second, you’re going to have to accept it eventually,
Lyle.” Seeing him cock his head in confusion, Todd lifted a hand and cupped his jaw, tracing the
scratchy stubble with his thumb. “You’re a shifter now, too,” he whispered, his expression entreating
Lyle to believe him.

Heaving a sigh, he rolled over and stared up at the ceiling. Todd curled into his side, and he

instinctively put his arm around the smaller man and pulled him close. “I get that you think you’re
telling me the truth,” he murmured to the ceiling. “I’m just having a hard time wrapping my mind
around it.”

Todd nodded against his chest, and Lyle looked over at his sexy angel. “Ailean told me we’re

mates.”
“Yeah.” He lifted his head and frowned. “I know this is a lot to take in right now. I’ll–I’ll understand
if you want me to leave you alone for a while.”
“What?” Lyle growled, lifting onto an elbow to stare down at the man. “No! Your place is here, with
me,” he snarled, surprising himself with the intensity of his feelings.
The look of relief that lit up Todd’s face had Lyle leaning down to press his lips to his. Before he
could deepen the kiss, he heard several footsteps climbing the stairs. Lyle cocked his head to listen to
their progress. A soft knock confirmed his suspicion that they’d stopped outside their room, but it was
enough time for Lyle to reach down and grab the quilt that had been shoved to the foot of the bed
during their lovemaking. He pulled it over them right before Lark, Declan, Grady, and Chief
Parkinson walked into the room.
Lyle’s brows shot up in surprise. “Chief?” he muttered in disbelief. What the hell is he doing here?
He turned his questioning gaze to his partner. “Grady?”
“Sorry, Lyle. I should have checked to see if you were up for visitors,” the big tiger shifter said,
grimacing sheepishly.
Lyle wanted to ask just how much the human knew, but held his tongue. Silence would better serve his
purposes for gathering information.
“Well, it’s good to see ye’re feeling better,” Declan stated, smirking. Standing behind the other men,
he discreetly sniffed the air and then winked at the pair.
His eyes widened, and his gaze locked back on Chief Parkinson. He couldn’t even be sure the man
knew he was gay. The fact that his boss was actually staring out the window instead of at him was
telling. The chief cleared his throat and said, “You’ve been missing nearly a month, Detective
Sullivan. Your partner reported your appearance this morning. He said you’d been labeled as a John

Doe at Colin City Hospital since you showed up without any identification. It took a while to run your
prints.” Finally, the chief’s gaze focused on Lyle. “Do you remember what happened?”
Lyle remained quiet a moment, gathering his thoughts. “Some things,” he ventured. “I remember
walking out of the station and heading down the alley across the street, going to my car. I remember
something slamming me on the back of the head. After that, everything becomes really disjointed.” He
raised a hand to his face, pinching the bridge of his nose.
Swallowing hard, he tried to decide what to share with his chief and what needed to wait until he’d
left. A hand on his arm got his attention, and he found Lark pressing a cup of water into his hand. Lyle
took it gratefully, just then realizing how dry his throat actually was. Odd that I didn’t notice it
before. He took several slow swallows, glancing at Todd. No, not so odd. He mate was fucking hot
in a sweet and sultry way. But then he remembered how Todd reacted to his touch, not to mention the
dirty talk they’d shared, and knew a little devil hid beneath the exterior of his angel.
The memories had his dick thickening, and he growled softly. He wanted the man again and suddenly
found it difficult to concentrate on why he couldn’t pull the wolf under him and sink his cock into…
“Lyle,” Grady’s deep voice called out gruffly. “Focus!”
He gave himself a mental slap and pulled his gaze away from a now blushing Todd. His breath
shuddered out of him and he grimaced when he met his frowning chief. “Sorry,” he muttered,
searching for an excuse. “The meds I’m on are messing with my brain.” He focused on the blanket
spread over his legs and said, “I was in and out of consciousness. I remember a lot of pain and a
couple people stabbing me with needles, although they’re faces are hazy. I’m not certain I could
identify them.”
Lyle frowned, shivering as he remembered his time held captive. The pervasive cold he’d felt earlier
seeped through him again, and he pulled Todd close, trying to soak up the little wolf’s heat. He
swallowed hard and found his voice again. “At one point I was strapped to a bed and several IVs
were inserted into me.” He shuddered at the memories, and those were the ones he could actually
understand. It was when he thought he was unconscious, but couldn’t be sure, things began to lose
cohesiveness.
“Do you remember how you escaped?” the chief asked. “Do you remember where you were held?”
The man’s questions told him some of what Grady hadn’t shared. Lyle frowned. “After they removed
me from the IVs, they tossed me into a room similar to a prison cell. I don’t know how, but at one
point, the power in the building went out. Because everything was electronic, the doors unlocked.”
He frowned, realizing how odd it was that the scientists wouldn’t have generators to keep the cells
locked in case of power failure. Am I missing something? He tried to think back, but pain exploded
in his head, causing him to cry out and clutch his head.
Todd’s arms were around him instantly, and he curled into the man’s side. Burying his face in Todd’s
neck, he breathed in the man’s scent, allowing it to soothe him. “Easy,” his angel crooned. “You’re
here now. You’re safe.”
He nodded, but didn’t move from his position. “Okay. That’s enough interrogation for my patient,”
Lark stated firmly. “I’m sorry, Chief, but you’ll have to come back another time. Lyle needs rest.”
“Hell, no! He ain’t resting. If the faggot is well enough for that deviant behavior, then he’s well
enough to answer my questions!”
Lyle froze. Todd tensed. He could have heard a pin drop on the hardwood floor after his boss’s
colorful outburst. Hearing a low growl fill the room, it took him a second to realize he made the
sound. He lifted his head from Todd’s chest and glared at the chief. “I’ve been awake all of
twentyfour hours and my boyfriend is the only thing keeping me sane, you self-righteous prick,” he

snarled. “I don’t give a fuck if you don’t like that I’m gay!”
He watched Chief Parkinson’s face turn an interesting shade of red, but couldn’t find it in himself to
feel any remorse for his outburst. Sure he wasn’t out and proud, but he wasn’t in the closet by any
means. Lyle hadn’t realized he worked for such a bigoted ass. The chief stalked toward the bed, hand
lifted as though he wanted to strike him, and Lyle caught a whiff of the man’s scent, sweat covered by
dark musk cologne. The smell triggered something primal, something protective in Lyle’s brain and he
roared, launching toward the man.
Todd grabbed him from behind, wrestling him back to the bed. His sight did the odd brightening thing
again, and he watched Grady and Declan rush a shouting chief from the room. The words bounced
around Lyle’s head like white noise, not understanding any of it. The only thing that penetrated was
Todd’s crooning.
After the door slammed shut, blocking the others from view, Lyle shuddered, his growls easing to an
end. A sharp jab to his shoulder brought his attention to where Lark was once again pulling a needle
from his arm. “It’s just a mild sedative, Lyle,” the little blond said. “It won’t knock you out. It’ll just
help you calm down.”
Lyle nodded, curling his big body around Todd. “I’m so sorry, my angel. I didn’t know my boss was a
homophobic ass,” he whispered.
“It’s okay. It’s nothing I haven’t heard before. Everything is fine.” Todd accentuated the words with a
kiss.
Another thought finally hit him. “Holy shit. I just cussed out my boss!” He groaned and buried his face
back in Todd’s neck, breathing in the man’s relaxing scent like it was the only thing that’d keep him
alive. “I can’t believe I did that!” It didn’t take a genius to realize his emotions were all over the
place.
Todd kissed his forehead again. “Don’t worry,” he whispered. “I’m sure we can blame it on the
drugs.” Lyle lifted his head, staring hopefully at the man upon hearing Todd’s words.
“And can you imagine the ass-chewing Declan is giving him right now?” Lark cut in. Lyle took in the
man’s frown and his hand resting on his cocked hip. “Imagine the nerve of that man! Coming into our
home and bashing gays. Fucking idiot, if you ask me.”
The two men’s words made him smile. They were trying so hard to reassure him. “I still think I’m
probably out of a job,” he whispered.
“Oh, hell no,” Lark snarked. “He can’t fire you for your sexual orientation. He’ll have his ass handed
to him in court if he tries that shit!”
That had Lyle’s brows shooting up. “Court?”
Todd squeezed his hand, drawing his attention back to the man he clung to. “My brother Phillip is a
lawyer.”
“Huh, okay,” he murmured. “And what are you, angel?”
Todd’s heated flush surprised Lyle, and he gave the man a reassuring squeeze. “I’m a grease
monkey,” Todd admitted. “Although I enjoy working on cars, I really like fixing bikes.”
“Motorcycles? Really? Any particular kind?”
He shook his head. “Not really. I like most kinds. I work at a shop in Stone Ridge part time that’s
owned by Trace Lancaster. He’s pack, so he’s been really understanding about giving me so much
time off.”
“That sure does seem to help, huh? Working at a pack owned business.” He watched Todd nod and
could feel his mind start to drift. Between the sex and the altercation with his boss, Lyle felt wiped
out.

Seeing his predicament, Todd wrapped his arms around Lyle and encouraged him to tuck his head
under Todd’s chin. “Get some more rest,” he ordered softly.
Laying against the other man, he thought he muttered, “Okay,” but couldn’t really be sure as he caved
to the pull of sleep.

Chapter Four

nce he felt certain Lyle was asleep, Todd eased out of the bed and crossed to the dresser. He

pulled out a pair of fresh jeans and a blue t-shirt. Smiling slightly, he followed Lark out of the room.
“Now that he’s woken and proved he’s coherent, I’m ready for a shower.” He’d had a hard time
convincing his wolf to leave his mate’s side over the past week and a half, but now his animal had
calmed considerably.

Lark grinned and stared at his neck. “Nice love bite. It doesn’t look like it broke skin, but he

definitely doesn’t seem to be adverse to the idea of you and him being mates, huh?” he teased.

Todd released a relieved sigh and smiled. “Fortunately not. I just hope he realizes we mate for

life,” he added ruefully.

“Ask Grady what he’s said to him about mates. After seven years working together, I’d think it

would have come up at least once, especially since he recently found Gordon,” Lark pointed out.

Nodding, he said, “I’ll do that. Be down in a few to help prepare supper.”

“You don’t have to do that.”
Raising a hand, he waved away the objection. “I really need to feel useful,” he admitted. “I’ve been
sitting vigil for so long, I feel like my muscles are going to atrophy.”
Lark laughed. “I can certainly appreciate that. All right. We’re grilling steaks tonight, so I’ll leave
you in charge of potato salad. How does that sound?”
“Perfect!”
Enjoying the hot water sluicing over his cramped muscles just a little too much, he didn’t make it
downstairs for nearly twenty minutes. “Hey, guys. Yup, you still look hot together,” he teased,
walking in on a kissing Grady and Gordon.
When they broke apart, Grady winked. “Hello, Todd. Lyle is looking a lot better today. It’s good to
see.”
“Yeah,” he said, his smile fading. “Was that little display normal? Or is it new?”
“Well, he’s always had a bit of a temper, but that was a bigger blow-up than I’ve ever seen.” He
shrugged, lifting his lips in a wry smile. “With everything that has happened, along with our boss
being an ass, I’m not really surprised.”
Letting out a breath, Todd smiled. “Good. With our not knowing what animal he now shares his mind
with, I was hoping his temper wasn’t a reflection of his beast.”
“Don’t worry, Todd,” Declan reassured, entering the dining room through a sliding door. He held a
pair of tongs he’d been using to turn the steaks on the grill. “Between all of us, I’m certain we can
ease him into his new attributes.”
“I hope so, Alpha,” Todd murmured.
Declan clasped him on the shoulder before moving past him, picking up a potato, and tossing it to
Todd, who caught it by reflex. “I believe Lark put ye on salad duty.” He grinned. “Get to it, and don’t
forget the onions.”
Chuckling, he nodded. “Yes, Alpha. But if your mate won’t kiss you because he doesn’t like my
potato salad don’t come crying to me.” Todd laughed when Declan growled playfully at him, then
turned to the bowl of freshly washed potatoes. He got to work, grateful to have something so mundane
to focus on.
Fifteen minutes later, he walked into the dining room carrying a large bowl of fresh potato salad just
as Declan entered with two plates of steaks. He’d just set the bowl on the table when a pair of strong

arms wrapped around him from behind and gave him a squeeze. He laughed, inhaling the familiar
scent of his brother. “I came as soon as I heard,” Phillip said, giving him another brotherly squeeze.
“I’m glad Lyle’s finally come round.”
Todd nodded, opening his mouth to reply when an angry, hissing roar shook the walls. Everyone’s
heads snapped toward the sound, and Todd’s jaw dropped when he spotted the large head peering
over the upstairs railing at them.
“What the hell is that?” Phillip whispered, his arms tightening as he protectively tried to move Todd
behind him.
The yellow vertical-pupil eyes focused on them and another low growl echoed through the silent
room. A claw gripped the banister and the creature began to pull its sinuous body over the railing,
revealing muscled legs with nearly three-inch claws.
“Lyle,” Todd whispered, struggling to get away from his brother. He needed to go to his mate, calm
him. He could see the anger and agitation in every slow move the massive lizard made. “Let me go!”
he growled.
“What the hell are you doing?” his brother barked, trying to hold him back.
Another snarl jagged teeth and a forked tongue. “That’s my mate, and you’re pissing him off,” Todd
snapped.
“He’s right,” Declan murmured. “Go to yer mate, Todd. Just take it slow. We need to be sure he
recognizes ye in this form.”
To his relief, Phillip released him, and Todd started ripped through the room, showing off slowly
toward the twelve-foot reptile. “Easy now, Lyle. There’s no threat here,” he crooned, separating
himself from the others and crossing to the stairs. “We’re all friends.”
The lizard watched his progress while keeping one eye on the others. Climbing the stairs, Todd took
his time, pleased when the snarling stopped and the agitated movements of the long tail slowed. Todd
swept his gaze over the big animal, still uncertain what kind of lizard it actually was. It had the
traditional low-slung body and mottled green and brown flesh with red banding on its back. Three-
inch claws adorned each foot attached to short, thick legs, and a six-foot tail that doubled the length of
the creature’s body.
Todd reached up a hand and stroked Lyle’s long, smooth head. He smiled as Lyle’s forked tongue
flicked out, scenting him.
“You’re quite stunning, whatever you are,” he murmured. “But if you want to eat dinner with us, I
need you to return to your human form.” Brushing lightly over the animal’s face, he realized he had the
creature’s full attention, so he continued to ramble. “I made potato salad, and Lark baked apple pie.
Declan grilled steaks. Alpha makes the best rare steaks.”
Suddenly, the skin under his fingers rippled and the creature let out a low, pained groan. Lyle
convulsed, his body shuddering as his limbs realigned, his jaw and face shrank, and his body
contorted, slipping back into the form of a human.
Todd knelt, helping Lyle settle on his knees.
“Then you’ve never had one of my steaks.”
It took a second for the man’s whispered words to make sense, but then Todd grinned. “I look
forward to trying one of yours,” he replied. “Are you up to joining us? Or do you want to go back to
bed?”
“No.” Lyle gripped Todd’s wrist in what would have been a bone-crushing grip if Todd hadn’t been
a shifter, as it was, he’d still probably end up with a bruise. “Need to be with you.”
“Of course, love,” he replied. “Let’s get you some clothes, and then we’ll go get some food. Okay?”

“Yeah.”
Wrapping an arm around Lyle’s waist, he helped him back to the bedroom and found a pair of sweats
and a t-shirt. “We’ll need to work on your grip, handsome,” he said conversationally. “Now that you
have increased strength, you’ll need to learn how to keep it under wraps with humans.”
“What do you mean?” Lyle asked.
Todd turned to him and wrapped both arms around his waist to pull him close. “You have shifter
strength now, Lyle. You have to remember to keep your grip light.”
For a second, Lyle just stared at him. Then his dark eyes widened. “Oh, shit, angel! I didn’t hurt you,
did I? I never want to hurt you!”
“No, no,” Todd hurried to reassure. “You didn’t hurt me. I’m just warning you because if I wasn’t a
shifter, you might have.” He reached up and traced the pads of his fingers along Lyle’s jaw and over
his lips. Standing on his toes, he gently kissed his mate. “I’m hungry. Let’s go eat.”
Lyle nodded slowly, his look still concerned. Todd threaded the fingers of one hand through Lyle’s
and led the man to the dining room.
“Hey, partner! Glad to see you looking better!” Grady greeted with a grin. He rose from the table and
grabbed another plate, handing it to Lyle while gripping his shoulder with the other hand. “Welcome
back to us, Lyle.”
“It’s good to be back,” he murmured, looking around the group. “Well, mostly.”
“You’ll be fine once you get used to it,” Grady said. “You’re a tough bastard,” he added with a grin.
To Todd’s relief, Lyle smirked and said dryly, “Thanks, I think.” After snagging his steak and adding
potato salad, beans, and broccoli salad, he turned to look at Declan. “I appreciate you letting me stay
here while I recover.”
“It’s because of us that ye were pulled into this,” Declan replied. “Ye’re welcome here for the
duration of yer recovery.”
“My recovery? You think I’ll need to stay much longer?” Lyle said before taking a bite of steak.
“It really depends on you,” Declan replied. “Once ye can control yer shift, then we’ll talk about ye
going back to work.”
“Control my shift?” Lyle frowned, took a bite of steak and chewed thoughtfully. “Is that what
happened on the stairs?” He shook his head. “I thought I was just out of my fucking mind with rage,
and I have no clue why,” he whispered.
Todd frowned and rested his hand on Lyle’s arm to draw his attention. “Why were you upset?”
Letting out a breath, Lyle’s brows creased and held his gaze. “I could smell the food and was hungry,
so I came down the hall to see if I could get some. When I paused at the landing, I looked down into
the dining room and saw you in the arms of another man.”
Lyle blinked, and his eyes shifted to his reptile’s. A low growl rumbled through his chest and his gaze
locked on Phillip. Springing to his feet, his chair toppling backward, Lyle leaped across the table,
scattering dishes, and grabbed the lapels of Phillip’s button-down shirt. He pulled Phillip out of his
chair, swung him around and slammed him into a wall. “Why were you touching my mate!” he roared.
Jumping up, Todd rushed around the table, desperate to separate his mate and his brother before
serious harm happened to either of the men. He knew how dominant his brother could be and wasn’t
surprised to see a feral look coming over Phillip’s eyes as he struggled to stay calm.
He plastered himself to Lyle’s back, soaking his mate in his scent. “Easy, Lyle, easy,” he crooned. He
settled his hands over Lyle’s and eased his grip on Phillip’s shirt and neck. “I’m your mate. This is
Phillip. He’s my brother.” He rubbed his cheek against the back of Lyle’s neck since he couldn’t quite
reach the other man’s cheek.

Seeing spots of hide sprout on Lyle’s forearms, he pulled his mate tighter Remember what breathe.
Think about that cubicle at your office. How boring it is to do all that paperwork. Focus on that,
love.”
Seconds later, to his immense relief, the last of Lyle’s grip on Phillip released and his arms dropped
to his sides. Todd found himself with an armful of sagging mate. He stumbled, but managed to stay
upright as someone slid a chair next to them, and he eased Lyle onto it. Keeping one arm around the
man, Todd lifted apologetic eyes to Phillip.
Phillip grimaced and slipped away. “Why do I always seem to be the one coming between unmated
couples? I’m not even gay!” he groused, but he gave Todd an amused smile.
“I’m sorry. I don’t know what came over me,” Lyle moaned, leaning into Todd’s massaging touch.
Declan knelt in front of Lyle, reaching up and grasping his chin to force him to look at him. “Yer
animal is a big fucking predator, Lyle. Ye’ll need to learn to control his aggressive tendencies. I think
yoga and meditation exercises will help ye. Plus, if ye let yer animal out on a regular basis, it’ll help
ye keep control as well.”
“What is my animal?” Lyle whispered. “All I remember is the world getting brighter and everything
looked smaller.” Then he shrugged. “Well, along with seeing some rather to him. “You’re the only
one I want. I told you in our bedroom. Stop and impressive looking claws.”
“Well, we’re not really sure,” Todd admitted.
Lyle frowned, his gaze lifting and sweeping over the others in the room. “What do you mean?”
Declan cleared his throat and shrugged. “We’ve not seen a lizard shifter before. We’re not certain
what kind of lizard ye are, Lyle.”
“It’d be easy to find out.”

Chapter Five

yle turned to look at the speaker, a small brown-haired girl. She was maybe thirteen, give or take

a year. He’d never really been great at guessing kid’s ages. He remembered her as Sara, Declan and
Lark’s adopted daughter.

“Aye?” Declan said, cocking his head in a very canine way as he stared at her. “How do ye plan

to do that, Sara?”
The youngster had the audacity to roll her eyes at her alpha. “We have internet. We’ll just look him
up.”
“Of course,” Lark replied, laughing. “Why didn’t we think of that, sweetie?”
Sara shrugged. “I don’t know.” Sara slipped off her chair and headed out of the room, pausing to look
at the men in the room. “Well, come on. I’ll show you.”
To Lyle’s surprise, without a word, all the men in the room followed the girl. Todd wrapped an arm
around his back and helped him from the chair. The close proximity to the man, along with his
amazing scent, had Lyle thinking of all kinds of wicked things he wanted to do to Todd instead of
joining the others. Trying to clear his head, he found his feet, took his mate’s hand and followed
everyone out of the room.
Sara led down the hall and into a large study. The room contained a good sized desk and several
leather couches and chairs. It looked as though Declan held pack meetings with his inner circle there.
The girl settled behind a computer, and everyone gathered around her. A few minutes later, she turned
the monitor around and showed a number of pictures.
“What the fuck is that,” Lyle whispered. To his surprise, he felt something shift in the back of his
mind, a presence almost, that gave a hissing growl of approval at the pictures and then settled back
down.
“This is a Nile Monitor,” Sara replied. “It says they can grow up to nine feet, have powerful legs and
jaws, and wellmuscled bodies.” Grinning, she pointed to a picture of a young monitor. “You had
pointed teeth like the young monitors.”
“But he was quite a bit larger than nine feet,” Todd pointed out. “I would put him more in the twelve
to thirteen range.”
“Being larger than average is pretty normal for a shifter,” Declan assured. “And even though ye have
the teeth of a young one, ye’re probably full grown.” He shrugged. “Shifters sometimes have
adaptations, plus ye were turned into one, not born.”
“But how did an African animal end up in me?” Lyle whispered, his brain churning with all this
bizarre information.
“I can answer that,” a soft voice came from the doorway behind him.
The skinny black man looked vaguely familiar to Lyle. “Do I know you?” he asked.
Doctor Carmichael appeared behind the man. “Ah, here you all are,” he said. He grabbed the other
man’s hand and led him past Lyle. He dropped onto a couch and pulled the other man onto his lap.
“What’s going on?” His gaze finally settled on Lyle and he grinned. “Lyle! It’s good to see you up and
about. How are you feeling? Lark and Todd are taking good care you, I trust?”
When Lyle couldn’t find the words to answer, Ailean’s brows lifted and he looked around the room,
his gaze finally landing on the monitor. “Ah, monitors. Cool, aren’t they?” His comment was greeted
by silence, which had him lifting a brow. “What?”
“I’m Drake Whitton,” the slender man on Ailean’s lap stated, as he patted the doctor’s hand to soothe

the sting of being interrupted. “When you escaped, you crawled into the back of my car and I took you
to the hospital. To Ailean,” he added. “I was at the complex you escaped from because I’m a
scientist.” He began to twist his fingers in agitation, his body trembling.
“Easy, little mate,” Ailean crooned. “It wasn’t your fault. Remember?”
“In a way, it was,” Drake replied. He turned a beseeching gaze on Lyle and said, “I didn’t mean for
any of this to happen.”
At first only confusion clouded his brain, but then another thought struck. “You experimented on me?”
he growled. He could feel that strange presence in his mind again, this time bringing a feeling of
aggression. He struggled to control it, taking deep breaths.
“No!” Drake denied. Then his shoulders sagged. “Not directly.”
“Well? Which is it?” Lyle snarled.
Todd wrapped an arm around his waist and led him to a sofa. “Easy, Lyle,” he murmured. “Just let
him explain.”
He gave a jerky nod before looking again at Drake. The man grimaced and said, “I was hired by them
as a contractor. They gave me DNA from an animal in Africa. When I reported that it had both human
and reptilian components, they wanted to know if I could somehow create a serum to give humans
some of the reptile’s characteristics.”
“Reptile characteristics?” Lyle muttered. “Why?”
A flush made the man’s chocolate skin even darker. “I’m a scientist,” he whispered. “I didn’t ask.
They were paying me for a job, so I did it.” Drake stared at his fingers. “I didn’t know they were
using my research to experiment on you, Lyle.” His head lifted and tears made the man’s eyes glitter.
“Honest to God I didn’t!”
Todd’s hand rubbing his back, along with his scent in Lyle’s nostrils, kept him from doing anything
rash. He could still feel his animal’s anger at the scientist’s manipulations. “So turning me into a
shifter wasn’t what they intended?”
“No,” Ailean responded. “Whatever they did to you almost killed you. If Drake hadn’t figured out a
way to convert you into a shifter, you would have died.”
His serious expression had Lyle letting out a long breath. On one hand, if Drake hadn’t done the
experiments for the company, Lyle wouldn’t be in this mess in the first place. Then he shook his head
and started speaking. “Ailean is right, Drake. Even if you hadn’t done the research for them, they
would have found someone else to do it.” He scoffed as a memory flashed through him. “And then you
wouldn’t have been there for me to hijack.”
Drake’s eyes widened. “You remember that?”
“Vaguely,” he admitted. “I guess thanks are in order.”
“No, that’s not necessary.”
Lyle shrugged, finally beginning to feel at ease. He settled back onto the couch and wrapped an arm
around Todd’s shoulders, pulling his sweet smelling angel against his side. He looked at Declan and
frowned. “So is shifting always that painful? I just about thought my insides were going to explode.”
“Normally it’s more a mixture of odd sensations than pain,” the wolf alpha said, “but with ye being
made and not born, I have no idea how it will impact ye.” He frowned. “I’ll help ye make it through
yer shift a few times and see if that doesn’t work out the kinks.”
Though he shivered at the thought of going through that amount of pain again, he still nodded. “Okay.”
“But first, you need to eat more and get back to bed,” Lark ordered.
“Sure.” Lyle let Todd help him off the couch. The fatigue rolled over him swiftly, and he stumbled.
“To bed first, then I’ll bring a plate to you,” Todd advised, leading him from the room.

On their way out, they heard Declan ask Ailean why they’d stopped by.
“I wanted to check on my patient one more time before Drake and I head to Denver,” Ailean replied.
“We’re visiting Drake’s sister and mother and looking into artificial insemination. We’re going to be
gone for a week, so I’d also like to know if you’ll keep an eye on Dagus while we’re gone.”
Declan’s response was lost to him when Todd shut the door behind them. Climbing the stairs took
every last shred of energy he had left. Relief flooded him when he dropped unceremoniously onto the
bed and groaned. “I feel like I’m dead on my feet and I’ve only been up for a couple hours,” he
grumbled into the pillow.
He felt the bed dip. Turning his head slightly and cracking an eye open, he watched Todd settle on his
ass. “Just relax,” he whispered. Todd maneuvered his limbs and helped him remove his shirt. Then
Todd’s hands settled on Lyle’s shoulders and slowly began to massage away the knots.
A few moments later, he found himself so relaxed he could barely manage to react when he heard the
bedroom door open. Grady appeared in his line of vision with a plate holding a steak and fries. Lyle
let out a grunt and shifted. Todd took the hint and rolled off him to sit on the bed. Lyle grinned, leaned
up on one elbow and gave him a quick kiss. “Your fingers are amazing, angel. Thanks.”
Todd smiled. “I’m happy to help.”
“You do. Help,” he added. He received another smile that sent an unfamiliar warmth and pleasure
through Lyle’s chest, which he couldn’t even begin to explain. Instead he rolled over on the bed and
pulled himself up to rest his back against the headboard. He turned to Grady and motioned for the
plate. “Is that for me?”
“Of course,” the detective replied, handing him the plate. “Made those fries special just for you. I
know how much you like them,” he added with a wink. “Dinner kind of got interrupted.”
Holding it to his nose, Lyle inhaled deeply and moaned. “Oh, yeah. Steak and fries. Nothing better.”
He grinned and took the knife and fork a chuckling Grady held out for him. He wasted no time digging
into the food, savoring the perfectly rare steak.
He paused, a thought occurring to him. “So, how did you know I wanted my steak rare instead of
medium rare, like usual?”
Grady grinned, showing off straight teeth. “We keep telling you. You’re a shifter now, Lyle. If you’re
a shifter predator, you like your meat rare.”
“Right,” he drawled, drawing the word out. He turned to Todd, and held up a bite of steak. “Hungry?”
Todd nodded and leaned forward, opening his mouth. Lyle slipped a juicy piece of meat between his
parted lips. His tongue flicked out, licking the juices off Lyle’s fingers, sending goose bumps up his
arm and a shiver down his body. He growled and set the nearly empty plate aside. Cupping Todd’s
head, he pulled the smaller man’s face to his and latched onto his mouth.
“Whoa, whoa, you two! We need to talk before you go at it again.” A new voice broke into his
blissful moment, making him aware of Grady’s laughter.
Lyle reluctantly ended the kiss and turned to look at Gordon, who now stood next to Grady. Gordon
grinned fondly at Todd and shook his head. “Can’t you control yourselves for ten minutes?”
Not liking the way Grady’s mate was looking at his angel, he let out a snarl and pulled Todd close.
“Mine!”
Todd tapped his chest, getting his attention. “I’m yours,” he assured, rubbing a soothing hand over his
shoulder. “He’s just teasing.” He smiled up at Lyle, his brown eyes gleaming with affection. “Take a
slow, deep breath, and calm down, handsome.”
Following Todd’s directions, Lyle felt the odd presence in the back of his mind settle. “Sorry,” he
said ruefully. “I really don’t know why I keep snapping like that,” he admitted.

“That’s what we’d like to talk to you about,” Grady said. “The chief knows you’re recovering from a
form of torture, but we didn’t tell him everything about why you were kidnapped or how you were…
affected.” Grady shuddered and grimaced. “I’m truly sorry you were dragged into this by the Crystal
Lake Corporation.”
Lyle shrugged. “I would have become involved anyway, right? Everyone keeps calling Todd my
mate.” He frowned for a second. “Even this animal I feel in the back of my mind thinks of him as my
mate. Would that still be the case if I hadn’t become a…well, a shifter?”
He forced the question out, knowing he had to accept the inevitable eventually. Just because he only
understood bits and pieces of what happened when he shifted into the animal, didn’t mean it didn’t
happen or wasn’t real. His life had been turned upside down once, six years ago when his partner had
revealed he could turn into a Bengal tiger and that shifters were real. Now his life was being turned
upside down again. He’d lived through the experience once. He knew he could do it again, especially
since this time he had an angel at his side.
Todd nodded. “I knew you were my mate, even when you were human. It’s why I petitioned Declan to
join his pack. I wanted to find you.” His smile turned to a grimace. “I’m just sorry it took me so long
to do it.” He lifted a hand and cupped Lyle’s face. “I wish I could have stopped them from hurting
you.”
The soft look in Todd’s eyes touched something deep inside Lyle, something none of his other
boyfriends had ever reached before. It scared him and excited him at the same time, and he knew he’d
have to figure out what it meant soon.
He nuzzled into Todd’s touch. “It’s not your fault, my angel,” he whispered before turning his head
and kissing the smaller man’s palm. After getting a smile from the beautiful wolf, he looked at Grady.
“Why do I get angry any time some other guy shows affection toward Todd?”
“Because you’re not mated with him, yet,” Gordon replied bluntly. “Once you claim him, then that
feeling of jealousy will ease. Other shifters will know he’s taken.” The hefty shifter grinned.
“Besides, shifters mate for life. He’s been looking for you for months. You’re the only one he wants.”
Something eased in his chest, a sense of belonging clicked into place. He smiled cheekily at Todd.
“Yeah?”
His angel blushed, his skin darkening to a rosy bronze. “Yeah. Ever since I scented you when you
helped rescue the shifters from the warehouse. I know you’re probably not ready for a relationship,
not with everything that’s happened to you recently, but…” He swallowed hard, his Adam’s Apple
bobbing. “I’m here when you are.”
Smiling, Lyle squeezed the arm he had wrapped around Todd. “I’ve never been able to keep a
relationship together for more than a few weeks, Todd,” he told him, determined to be honest with the
smaller man. “But with you I want to try.” At Todd’s hopeful smile, Lyle gave him a quick peck on
the lips and then looked at the two big men sitting curled up together in the chair Todd had occupied
earlier. How they managed to fit, Lyle wasn’t certain, but they seemed comfortable. “You talked
about claiming. What is that?”
“I noticed that nip on Todd’s shoulder,” Grady pointed out, making him blush. Lyle started to mumble
an apology, but the big shifter waved a hand, and Lyle snapped his mouth shut. “You’re just feeling
the natural urge a shifter feels to claim his mate.” He grinned and looked at Gordon, his eyes glittering
with sudden desire. “It binds mates together in the most pleasurable of ways,” he growled.
Lyle’s brows lifted in surprise, amazed at the tiger’s sudden change. Almost instant lust would be the
only way Lyle could describe it. He glanced at Todd and met his gaze. A shy smile lit the man’s eyes,
and Todd ducked his head and shivered. “The idea turns me on,” he whispered.

“I didn’t understand what I was doing before,” he replied, pecking a kiss to Todd’s lips. “I want to be
in control when I claim you, angel.” He didn’t mention he needed to be certain it was the best thing
for both of them. It was only right before his kidnapping that he had even started thinking about
settling down, and now he was being handed a partner and mate. He admitted to liking what he’d
learned so far of the man, but Lyle couldn’t shake the feeling that things were moving just a little too
fast for him.
A jaw-cracking yawn overtook him, and Lyle felt his brain churn sluggishly. Too much had happened
in the last twelve hours, and he needed time to assimilate it all. Running a hand over his face, Lyle
grimaced. “Sorry. It’s been a long day.”
Gordon and Grady rose. “You have a lot to think about, old friend,” Grady said, seeming to instantly
understand his reticence to discuss anything else. “Get some sleep. We’ll be around to answer any
more questions you have, and I’m certain Todd won’t be too far,” he added with a wink.
Slumping down in the bed, his arms around Todd, he watched the other men leave. “I’ve never been
good at expressing my feelings, Todd,” he murmured into the man’s hair, feeling the urge to doze off.
“I understand, Lyle,” Todd said into his neck, his hands rubbing his chest. “This is a lot for anyone to
take in.”
“I’m so overwhelmed, angel,” Lyle admitted. “I just need a little time.”
That was the last thing he remembered before sleep took him again.

Chapter Six

odd slipped from the bed and gave his mate a soft kiss. Lyle snuffled softly in his sleep, before his

eyes snapped open, and the man wrapped his arms around Todd and pulled him back onto the bed.
Todd giggled, opening his mouth and accepting the deep kiss Lyle gave him.

Todd pulled back from the kiss and grinned. “Good morning,” he teased.

Lyle grinned back. “Already? I feel like I just fell asleep.”
“Afraid so,” Todd replied, trailing his fingers down Lyle’s back. It was a good thing they were both
fully clothed, or he’d be sorely tempted to give in to what his hard cock wanted and beg Lyle to fuck
him into the mattress. “And I’ve gotta go to work,” he added ruefully.
A low growl greeted his announcement. “I don’t want you to go.”
“I’m sorry, handsome,” Todd said. “Trace has been gracious to let me have this much time off, being
a new employee and all.” He smiled and rubbed his cheek against Lyle’s neck. “I’m sorry I woke you.
I didn’t mean to.”
“I’m a light sleeper,” Lyle revealed. Then he lifted his head and glared down at Todd. “And don’t
ever try to sneak from my bed again. I admit I don’t understand everything that’s happening to me, but
the idea of you disappearing pisses me off to no end.” He shuddered and took a deep breath, then
eased his grip on Todd. “Sorry. It looks like I have a lot to learn about control.”
“I’ll be back before supper. You rest and regain your strength this morning,” Todd crooned.
“Declan’s supposed to be home around two this afternoon. He’s going to help you with that control
and learning to shift when you want instead of when your animal wants.”
Lyle grunted, easing off him. “This is so damn surreal.”
Todd rose from the bed and smiled fondly at him. “I know, but we only want you to be safe. If you
were to shift in the middle of a crowd of humans, there’d be hell to pay,” he said, chagrin filling his
voice.
“I know,” he ground out. “And I can read between the lines. It’s not just my safety everyone is
concerned about. There’s a bigger picture here.” Todd knew his stunned expression showed, because
Lyle reached up and stroked his hand. “It’s okay. They’re right. I’m a danger to shifter society right
now.”
He swallowed hard. “I just don’t want anything to happen to you,” Todd whispered.
“Hey,” Lyle crooned. “I’ll learn. Don’t worry, sweet angel.” He sat up against the headboard and
tugged on Todd’s arm. He went willingly, crawling onto his mate’s lap. The erection that had faded
during the serious conversation began to manifest again and he couldn’t stop from rocking against
Lyle.
Lyle grunted, lifting his hips to meet his thrusts. “It’ll all be fine,” he growled, his eyes shifting for a
second before returning to normal. “I’ll learn, angel, for no other reason than to be with you.”
His mate’s promise sent warmth through Todd’s system, and he sighed. “I don’t really have time for
this,” he grunted, but continued to move against Lyle.
“We’ll be quick,” Lyle said, panting.
He reached between them and shoved down the front of both their sweats. Their cocks slapped
together, sending sparks of pleasure to Todd’s balls. When Lyle rolled his palm over both their
cock’s heads, Todd huffed a breath and pushed closer. Lyle wrapped his pricks and stroked.
“Oh, yeah,” Todd whispered, “Very quick.”
Todd settled his hand on Lyle’s adjusting his grip and moderating his stroke. “Just like that,” he

ordered.
Lyle hissed. “Fuck yeah.”
They rocked their hips, grinding against each other as they jacked their pricks. Rolling their fingers
over the heads of their cocks every few strokes, they used the steady stream of pre-cum to ease the
way. It only took a moment for Todd’s balls to tingle and his shaft to swell. The fingers of his other
hand clenched where he clutched Lyle’s shoulder, and Todd came with a silent howl.
Lyle’s body tensed and jerked beneath him. Seconds later, a second stream of spunk coated his
fingers, and the heady scent of Lyle’s essence filled Todd’s nostrils. Todd panted, enjoying Lyle’s
petting hands as he floated on the pleasant wave of endorphins.
“Now it’s a good morning,” Lyle whispered.
The puffs of air ghosting over Todd’s ear created by his words sent a shiver down his spine. Todd
managed to lift his head and smile. “Definitely.” He took another moment to enjoy the afterglow
before he pecked a kiss on Lyle’s lips and eased away from him. He pulled his t-shirt over his head
and used it to clean them both up. Pausing at the doorway, he smiled back at his already dozing mate.
“I’ll see you tonight.”
Lyle grunted in response.
fist around both their
his balls pulling tight.

Todd gently closed the hood on the new BMW and wiped his hands on a rag. Footsteps echoed on

the cement floor, and he turned toward his approaching boss.

“Todd, are you finished there?” Trace asked.

“Yes, Mister Lancaster. The oil change is done and she’s ready to go,” he replied, pointing over his
shoulder at the car.
The older wolf nodded. “Good. You have a call. Take it in my office.”
He cocked his head and watched his boss walk away, wondering who would be calling him here.
Taking the steps up to the office two at a time, Todd hurried to find out. Picking up the handset, he
greeted the caller. “Todd Abernathy here.”
“Todd, thank the gods,” Declan’s Irish lilt was more pronounced than Todd had ever heard it,
instantly putting the small wolf on alert.
“What’s wrong, Alpha?”
His immediate thought for Lyle’s welfare became well founded when Declan said, “I was helpin’
Lyle learn how to control his shift. He’d successfully gotten into his animal form, but after moving
through the forest for fifteen minutes, he suddenly flicked out his tongue like he’d gotten a scent and
took off.” Declan growled in frustration. “I shoulda had Grady join us. Lyle’s a bit big to subdue by
meself.”
Todd knew how hard that admission was for the alpha wolf, and certainly wasn’t going to comment
on it. Instead, he said, “Do you know where he’s going?” Dread filled him that he’d found his
kidnapper’s scent and planned to take revenge.
“From his direction, I think he’s headed toward town. Toward you,” Declan added. “I need ye to
head to the west side of town and start scenting for him. I’ve asked Grady and Gordon to swing over
that way, too, since they’re also familiar with his scent.”
“Yes, Alpha. I’ll head out right now!”
After hanging up the phone, he hurried down the stairs and found Trace speaking with Chris, a fellow
mechanic, this one human.
Trace turned at his approach. “Gotta go?”

“Yes, sir,” he said. “It’s Lyle…” He paused, uncertain how to explain in front of Chris. The man had
never made any indication that he knew about shifters.
Trace held up a hand. “I understand. If you can’t be here tomorrow, call me.”
Letting out a relieved sigh, Todd nodded. “Thank you, sir.”
In the employee locker room, he peeled off his coveralls. He paused and grabbed a clean set of
coveralls off a shelf that should fit Lyle and then ran to his old Chevy S-10. Todd crossed his fingers
and turned the key, relief flooding him when the engine roared to life. He knew if he wasn’t a
mechanic, this old rust bucket would have been laid to rest years ago.
He drove as fast as he dared, definitely more than the law dictated, hurrying to the west side of town.
He rolled down his window as he slowly crept up one side street and down another on the outskirts
of Stone Ridge. Spotting Grady’s truck, he honked once. Seconds later, Grady parked behind him, got
out of his truck, and jogged to his door.
“Smell anything yet?” the big detective asked.
Todd shook his head. “No. Do you think I should get out and head into the woods?”
Resting his hands on his hips, Grady stared into the forest. “I’m not sure. I’d hate to miss him. I can’t
figure out what possessed him to travel to town anyway.” He stiffened and sniffed Todd’s neck.
“Unless it’s because his animal wants to claim you, and Lyle’s dragging his feet,” he mused.
Blushing, Todd shrugged. “I told him I’d give him time, remember? We’ve really only known each
other a day. An animal has been forced on him, sure, but I still have to treat him like a human in most
respects.”
Grady nodded. “I can see that, but him pulling shit like this is dangerous. He needs to learn control.”
“I know,” Todd replied. “He just needs more time.” He pleaded worried massive monitor lizard in
town, or worse, Lyle shifting to human form in front of someone.
Seeing his concern, Grady gripped his shoulder and squeezed. “Relax. I’m certainly not going to
recommend we do anything to him. He’s my friend. If push comes to shove, we’ll just move you both
into hiding while he figures out how to control his lizard.”
Todd nodded, although he hated the idea. It sounded too much like his time in a cage. This one would
just be a bigger cage. He sighed. “Thanks.”
A snarling hiss interrupted their conversation. They both turned to see Lyle, still in lizard form,
staring at them from the trees. His tongue flicked out, scenting the air.
Grady released Todd and stepped away from him. “He’s got some of the worst timing,” he muttered.
“Go to him.”
Not needing to be ordered twice, Todd swept the area, grateful to see no one around. He hurried to
his agitated mate, quickly running his hands over the thick hide of his head, neck and body. “You silly
man,” he chided gently. “You shouldn’t be here like this. What were you thinking?” He kissed Lyle’s
snout, trying to take the sting out of his words while still making his point.
The big lizard bumped him with his head and then rubbed his body against Todd’s, nearly knocking
him over. The animal hissed before moving to Todd’s other side and understanding with his eyes,
knowing Grady about what someone would say if they saw a doing it again. It occurred to him that
Lyle’s lizard was trying to replace the scent of others with his own, so he stepped behind the cover of
trees, knelt down and let the lizard rub against him as much as he liked. After five minutes the animal
finally seemed satisfied, for it stepped back and hissed again.
Todd smiled. “I can’t really understand you like this, Lyle. Why don’t you shift back, and we’ll head
back to Declan’s, okay?”
It took a moment of coaxing, but finally the lizard’s body shuddered. It lay down and curled around

itself as Todd heard the telltale sound of muscle popping and bones cracking. He cringed at an
exceptionally painful sounding noise and rubbed his hands over Lyle’s body as he slowly returned to
his human form.
“If I never have to do that again, I’ll die a happy man,” Lyle panted, pain filling his voice.
“I’m sorry it hurts so much, handsome,” Todd crooned. “Was it at least better than the first time?”
Lyle heaved a sigh before nodding once. “Yeah. I think so. That’s a good sign, right?”
Todd nodded. “Definitely. I have some coveralls that should fit you in my truck. Can you stand?”
Although he nodded, Lyle still needed to lean on Todd to get to his feet. He swayed, and Todd
wrapped an arm around his waist. He fought back a ripple of desire as his hand came into contact
with hard muscle, but just the knowledge that his mate was naked and there with him had Todd’s shaft
swelling.
“Mmmm,” Lyle murmured, rubbing his cheek over the top of Todd’s head. “Are you wearing cologne,
angel?”
He fought a blush, realizing his scent had increased. Todd shook his head. “I don’t wear cologne.
Shifters find most artificial scents overpowering and obnoxious.”
“Well, you smell amazing,” Lyle growled.
Todd felt a hand land on his ass and squeeze, making his cock twitch in his jeans. “Oh, shit,” he
whined. “Stop teasing. We can’t do anything here.”
Finally, Lyle seemed to note where he was. “Damn! I made it all the way to town?”
“Yeah, you did,” Grady cut in, holding out the coveralls that had been on Todd’s bench seat. “Put
these on. I don’t need to be blinded by your skinny ass,” he growled goodnaturedly.
Lyle flipped him off before reaching for the clothes and yanking them on.
“So, what were you thinking that made you decide to take a jaunt into town in animal form?” Grady
asked quietly. He crossed his arms over his chest, waiting expectantly.
After zipping the clothes up just enough to keep them on, Lyle paused and glanced between them. He
frowned, his brows scrunching as he tried to formulate an answer. Finally, he sighed and said, “I was
missing Todd.” Lyle pulled him to his chest, and Todd went willingly, enjoying his mate’s need to
touch. “I guess I didn’t realize how late he’d end up working, and with me sitting in Declan’s living
room, bored out of my mind, I must have let it get to me, and ended up transferring the desire to my
animal. When Declan finally got home and we worked on shifting, Todd was all I could think about,”
he finished with a shrug. “I won’t let it happen again.”
Grady nodded. “Okay. No harm done,” he said, his gaze sweeping the area. “Why don’t you head
home, Todd. I’ll call Declan and let him know we intercepted Lyle at the edge of town and that you’re
headed back.”
Todd nodded and he and Lyle climbed into the truck. Grady grabbed the passenger door before Lyle
could close it, and his gaze shifted between the two. “How about me and Gordon swing by tomorrow
after work? Gordon would probably enjoy a swim, and I bet your monitor would like the pool, too.”
Grinning at the idea, Todd nodded emphatically. “That’d be great.” He settled a hand on Lyle’s thigh
to get his attention. “It’ll be good to let your animal out just to play. It makes them so much easier to
handle when you’re upset or tired, since they don’t feel as antsy by being trapped all the time.”
Lyle nodded. “Okay. I’ll ask Lark if I can use their internet tomorrow. I’d like to check my accounts
and do some research on monitor behavior. Maybe I can get a better feel for it.”
“Sounds good. See you tomorrow,” Grady said.
Lyle nodded, hunching in his seat. “Thanks, man. I appreciate it.”
After another nod, Grady slammed the door shut and Todd started the truck. Ten minutes later, they

were out of town with only trees for company.
“I’m sorry I’m so much trouble,” Lyle whispered, his voice unexpectedly thick with emotion.
Todd’s brows lifted and he glanced at his mate before returning his gaze to the road. He settled a
hand on the back of Lyle’s neck and kneaded the muscles there, worried at all the tension he found.
“You can’t expect to learn control over night, Lyle. Give yourself some time.”
The man nodded, but the tension under Todd’s fingers didn’t change. Returning his hand to the wheel,
Todd nibbled his bottom lip and said, “I had trouble shifting when I hit puberty. I didn’t have the heart
to tell my father.”
“Why not?” Lyle asked curiously. He rolled his head away from where it rested against the window,
so he could look at Todd. “Would he have been upset?”
“I don’t think so,” Todd replied slowly. “But he was the pack beta, so having a defective son would
have shamed him.”
Lyle frowned. “I thought shifting came naturally for you all.”
Todd grimaced, thinking back. “Normally it does, but my mother was human. She wasn’t my father’s
true mate, but he’d fallen in love with her just the same. The pack alpha was a bigoted man who
thought shifters should only mate with other shifters, so he refused to give his permission for my
father to tell my mother about shifters and marry her.” He glanced over at Lyle and found he had his
mate’s complete attention, and the man’s eyes were wide with shock. “Not all shifter packs are as
liberal as this one.”
“I guess not,” Lyle said. He reached over and rested a hand on Todd’s thigh. “What happened?”
He could almost feel the concern radiating from Lyle, and it warmed Todd as he remembered those
first few years without his father there to guide him. “My father obeyed the alpha, but couldn’t give up
the human he loved. I was the result of a blown condom. My mother didn’t tell him. When she
realized he wouldn’t marry her, she moved away from the town, and him, and raised me by herself
until I was nine.”
He stared at the road in silence for a second, and Todd appreciated that Lyle let him think. Finally, he
swallowed hard and said, “On her way to work, three weeks before my tenth birthday, her car was hit
by a drunk driver. While lying on her deathbed, she told me about my dad and had social services
contact him. He came, my mother passed, and he took me to live with his pack.”
“Oh my god, angel,” Lyle whispered, his hand massaging Todd’s leg. “That must have been so
traumatic for you!”
Todd nodded as he turned the truck into Declan’s driveway. He could hardly believe they’d arrived
already. Something in Todd’s heart melted when Lyle unbuckled their seatbelts, slid closer on the
bench seat, and pulled him into his lap, arranging him so he straddled Lyle’s legs and faced him.
He smiled. “I didn’t start telling you this for sympathy.”
“I know,” Lyle smirked, “but having you next to me and not being able to touch you was driving me
crazy.”
Liking that he affected his mate so much, he leaned forward and pecked his lips lightly. He was about
to kiss him again, when Lyle pulled back and frowned. “I thought you said Phillip is your brother.”
He jerked back, surprised by the comment, then grinned impishly. “Oh, right. You distracted me.”
Lyle shrugged, but waited for him to go on. After giving him another peck, he said, “Phillip is my
half-brother. He’s three years younger than me. After my mother left town, my father found his true
mate. They had one son. Phillip.”
“How did he take getting a brother?”
Leaning into Lyle, he thought back over those first few years. “It was an adjustment for everyone. My

stepmother was extremely understanding, but she wasn’t my mom, you know?” He sighed and cuddled
closer. “I was just starting to feel like part of their family when puberty hit, and they explained about
shifters. It scared the hell out of me,” he whispered. “I fought it with everything in me, which only
made it worse.”
He trembled, remembering the pain, the confusion he felt as he went through puberty and he tried to
hold back his wolf. “Eventually it was Phillip who discovered I was getting hassled by younger kids
who’d already shifted. My father always said I hadn’t shifted yet because my mother was human, so
he wasn’t worried that I was what he called a late bloomer. Phillip pried the truth out of me.” Todd
grimaced. “My wolf had tried to come out a number of times, but I’d suppressed him, painfully, for
almost a year.”
Smiling fondly, Todd remembered that year. His brother had been so understanding, surprisingly so.
“Phillip had always been big for his age, and he’d shifted early. He appointed himself my bodyguard
and taught me how to shift, how to control my wolf. Once I could do that, it didn’t hurt to shift
anymore.” He sat up and smiled. “As you can see, he still feels the need to protect me.”
Lyle nuzzled his neck for a few seconds before whispering, “Well, now it’s my job. He’ll just have to
get used to it.”
Todd chuckled, enjoying the pinging sensations shooting down his neck and arms. “Yeah.”
“You’re mine, aren’t you, angel,” Lyle growled possessively.
The sound went straight to Todd’s cock. “Oh, yes,” he hissed, grinding his dick into Lyle’s.

Chapter Seven

“T

hank you for telling me about yourself, sweet angel,” Lyle crooned into Todd’s ear. He still

couldn’t believe everything that this sweet, seemingly innocent, man had gone through. And still his
heart was so big. Lyle felt himself falling just a little bit further for him.

Todd tucked his face into the crook of Lyle’s neck and whimpered. “You’ll find your own balance

soon, handsome. The balance between giving yourself over to your animal while still being able to
control it.”

Lyle smiled, kissing Todd’s temple. He loved the faith his man had in him. He’d do anything to

live up to those expectations. “With you here beside me, I know I can.”

Todd lifted his head, his eyes shining with warmth and acceptance. Lyle sealed his mouth over

Todd’s, nibbling his lips before sliding his tongue inside and mapping his mouth. Slipping his hands
under Todd’s shirt, he traced the bumps on the man’s spine. Suddenly, he couldn’t get close enough.
He needed more. He needed skin.

Jerking the door open with one hand, Lyle held Todd close and slid them both out of the truck.

Todd giggled when Lyle tossed him over his shoulder, and he grinned at the sound. He liked hearing
the joy in his mate’s laughter.

He ignored the amused expressions on Lark and Declan’s faces when he bounded through the

dining room and up the stairs. He didn’t stop moving until after he’d slammed their bedroom door
shut and tossed Todd onto their bed. Then he just stared, enjoying the sight of his angel’s gorgeous
smile as he lay sprawled across the comforter gazing up at him.

“Are you going to stand there all day?” Todd teased, sliding a hand down his chest to cup his

cock through the denim.

A strangled groan escaped Lyle, and his eyes narrowed. He dropped the suspenders of his

borrowed coveralls, letting them pool at his feet. Stepping out of them, Lyle reached down and
stroked his pulsing dick slowly. “You’re the one holding things up, my angel.”

Todd grinned up at him as he kicked off his shoes, shimmied out of his pants, his socks, and then

whipped his shirt over his head. His grin still firmly in place, he rested one hand on his chest and
plucked his nipples. With the other hand, Todd reached down and gripped his cock, pulling on it
firmly and arching into his own touch.

Snarling, Lyle leaped onto the bed. He grabbed Todd’s wrists, yanking his hands away from his

body. “You are a very naughty angel,” he declared.

Todd bucked his body, rubbing his leaking dick against him. “What are you going to do about it?”

Lyle’s brows lifted for a second, then a feral smile curved his lips as he remembered Todd’s earlier
enjoyment of a slight bite of pain. “Naughty mates deserve punishment.” Before Todd could react,
Lyle released Todd’s arms and flipped him onto his stomach. Lyle gripped Todd’s hips and lifted
them before bringing the palm of one hand down hard on his ass.
Todd howled, but Lyle recognized it as a sign of enjoyment. He didn’t let him move as he reined
several more quick swats to the smaller man’s backside. By the third spank, Todd was rocking back
into the blows, lifting his butt higher as if searching for each one. Even though his mate’s rosy ass was
a beautiful sight, and his jerking cock proved how much he wanted to darken it to a cherry red, Lyle
remembered that this was supposed to be a punishment, so he abruptly stopped, listening for a few
seconds to Todd’s whimper of protest.
Lyle released his hip and reached down to grip Todd’s cock, finding it swollen and dripping. He

stroked it lightly, knowing it wasn’t nearly enough stimulation. Lyle’s own dick throbbed. He draped
himself over Todd, feeling the heat from the red skin of Todd’s ass soak into his cock as he rubbed it
along his crease.
“I’m going to pound into you, angel, and you’re not going to come until I tell you. Understand?” He
breathed the words against the sensitive skin of Todd’s neck, feeling the tremble go through the man
he held.
“Yes, mate. Take me now,” Todd pleaded.
As much as he wanted to, common sense prevailed. Todd moaned when Lyle pulled away to grab the
lube out of the nightstand. Grinning, he lifted Todd and positioned him near the headboard. “Grip the
bars,” he ordered.
Todd did it quickly, wrapping each hand around a spindle before widening his legs and sticking his
ass out in invitation. Lyle poured the cool liquid onto his cock, hissing as it hit his sensitive skin.
Then he poured a generous amount onto Todd’s crack. The smaller man jerked at the sudden sensation
of cold liquid on hot skin. Lyle quickly spread the dripping lube around Todd’s pucker before sliding
two fingers into his mate’s channel.
He rubbed his free hand over Todd’s reddened cheeks, loving the skin contrast, as he quickly
stretched his mate. It didn’t take long for Todd to be rocking back onto his fingers, moaning softly,
begging for more with his actions and sounds. When Lyle pulled his fingers away, Todd’s ass thrust
back, searching for the stimulation. Lyle moved the head of his prick to Todd’s opening, but caught
his mate’s hips before he could impale himself on it.
Snarling, Todd glanced over his shoulder at Lyle. Lyle grinned and held Todd’s gaze as he rammed
into Todd, filling him with one thrust. through Lyle’s chest as tight squeezing and rippling around his
length. He wrapped his arms around Todd’s chest, feeling the smaller man lean into him, as if trying
to merge their bodies.
Lyle stayed still for several long seconds, relishing the sensations racking his body. Todd’s whimpers
and struggle to move his hips caught Lyle’s attention and his grip tightened. “Stop,” he ordered.
Todd stilled, although he didn’t seem able to quiet his whimpers. He nuzzled the back of Todd’s neck,
licking and nipping. When he could stay still no longer, he buried his face in Todd’s nape, pulled his
dick out and slammed back home. After that, Lyle couldn’t control his hips, and he hammered into
Todd again and again, relishing the ripple and squeeze of Todd’s inner muscles as he rocked back
into each thrust.
As the tingle started at the base of his spine and his balls pulled tight against his body, he could feel
his teeth shifting, sharpening. He recognized his animal’s desire to bite, to claim the man he fucked.
Clenching his jaw, he refused to give in to the urge. Instead, he reached down and gripped Todd’s
cock, jacking it with the same rhythm of his hips.
“Now, angel,” he ground out.
Todd howled as his penis exploded, dispelling streams of cum across the pillow, headboard, and
Lyle’s hand. The tight squeeze caused by Todd’s jerking body threw Lyle over the edge. Lyle’s cock
spewed his seed, burying it deep inside Todd’s ass. Lyle trembled and twitched, riding the high of his
release.
A guttural vibration rose heat enveloped his dick,
When finally able to string a coherent thought, Lyle carefully pulled his softening cock free of Todd’s
body. He unwrapped Todd’s fingers from the posts, pulled him close, and dropped them both onto the
bed, vowing to clean them up in just a few minutes.
But first, he wanted to hold this man that had so quickly wormed his way into his heart.

The evening couldn’t come fast enough for Lyle. He hated being cooped up with very little to

occupy him. He’d spent several hours that morning on the computer pouring over sites to learn more
about the Nile Monitor.

They were interesting creatures, powerful and quick. They could be deadly when they attacked

with their whiplike tail or if they managed to get their strong jaws latched around something. A
carnivorous animal, they ate a wide range of food from carrion, to eggs, to fish or even squirrels,
often gulping their food down whole.

Lyle shivered at that, wondering if shifters ate in their animal form often.

He settled on the bed and ran his palms over his face, then splayed his fingers around the tendons of
his neck and gently massaged them. He’d done very little but sleep and rest over the past few days,
but still he felt fatigue dragging him under. Knowing if he wanted to keep up with the other men this
evening he’d need his strength. He let sleep take him.
The sound of footsteps climbing the stairs pulled Lyle from his nap. He lifted his head when he heard
a gentle knock on his door. “Come in,” he called.
Lark appeared, a smile on his pale, fine-boned features. “Hey there.” He set the tray he carried on the
nightstand, giving Lyle time to drag himself up to lean on the headboard. Lark turned and handed him
a glass of water and a couple large Ibuprofen. “Here. These are the eight hundreds,” he said with a
wink. “I’m giving them to you now with a snack because if you practice shifting with the guys later
you may need them.”
A smirk curved the corner of Lyle’s mouth and he downed the offered pills. “Good idea,” he said
after swallowing. “Thanks.”
“Sure.” Lark’s smile softened. “I hate to see anyone in pain. That’s why I became a doctor.” Next he
settled a tray with a plate of scrambled eggs and toast. “Eat up, then come downstairs. You can help
me pack your picnic.”
“Picnic? I thought we were just going for a hike,” he said, before taking a large bite of eggs and
moaning appreciatively. “Damn. Why does food taste so much better now?”
Lark shrugged. “Heightened senses, probably,” he replied. “And I got a call from Gordon with the
change of plans. He wanted to make certain you’d be ready in thirty minutes, and when he heard we
had leftover potato salad, he asked if he could commandeer it.” Lark laughed, heading out of the
room. “Seems the big guy likes your mate’s cooking.”
A flash of jealousy spiked through Lyle and a growl rolled through his chest. Biting off the sound, he
took a deep breath and forced calm through him. He lifted his gaze to Lark and grimaced. “Sorry.”
“Claim him. You’ll feel better.”
Before he could even formulate a reply to Lark’s parting comment, the man disappeared out the door.
“Shit,” he grunted. Taking a bite of toast he shook his head. They’d just met, so how could everyone
just expect him to bind them together? At least Todd understood his desire to wait. Besides, there’s
no way in hell I’m going to jeopardize Todd’s life by binding us together until I’ve managed to get
my shit together!
He already liked the man way too much to do that.

Once done eating, Lyle slipped from the bed and pulled on jeans and a sweatshirt, needing it to

fight the chill he always seemed to have when Todd wasn’t around. He paused while pulling on a
worn pair of Adidas, realizing it could be because his animal was a reptile. He’d have to remember
to ask someone about that sometime. He grinned at the sneakers, loving that Grady had thought to grab
them. They were comfortable, and reminded him of his life before…well, just before.

A sigh slipped from his lips. Things would never be the same again. But do I really want them to

be? I may have never met Todd…

Shoving his confusing thoughts aside, Lyle joined Lark in the kitchen. Between the two, it only

took a few minutes to make nearly a dozen turkey sandwiches and pack the potato salad into a
container. He took the opportunity to lick the spoon and hummed his approval. “Yeah, I can see why
Gordon would like this so much.”

“Well, sure. As an elephant, this is probably better than steak to him.”

“You better not let Grady hear you call him that,” Lyle snapped, his brows lifting in shock at Lark’s
words. “Just cause he’s a little overweight doesn’t mean—”
“Oh, no!” Lark cut him off. “Gordon really is an elephant.” At his non-comprehending look, Lark
laughed. “He’s an Asian elephant shifter.”
Lyle paused, his hand hovering over the basket, still holding the squeeze mayonnaise bottle. It took
him a second to catch on to what Lark had said. His brows shot up. “Really? I guess I hadn’t heard
that.” He scoffed. “Sorry for snapping, man.”
Lark laughed. “You were defending a friend. I think it’s great.”
The slamming of the front door halted their conversation, and while closing the flaps on the picnic
basket, he followed Lark’s gaze and looked toward the hallway. Declan appeared around the corner,
and he only had eyes for his mate. The big alpha male opened his arms and Lark squealed as he
launched himself at Declan. The two men came together in a heated kiss as the little blond wrapped
his arms and legs around Declan like an octopus and held on tight, trusting the alpha to hold him.
Another image super-imposed itself over Lyle’s eyes, and he imagined himself holding Todd like that,
no matter that he only had a couple inches on the man. He could hear Todd’s shout of joy at his return
and could almost feel the smaller man’s body in his arms. He sucked in a deep breath and smiled.
Yup, I’ve got it damn bad already!
“Hello, Lyle. How are ye feeling?”
Declan’s deep voice brought Lyle’s attention back to the present. “I’m good. I’m looking forward to
getting out of the house for a bit.”
“I can certainly understand that,” Declan replied, clapping him on the shoulder good naturedly. He
opened his mouth to say more, but stopped when a loud knock pounded on the door before they heard
it swing open and closed. Several pairs of footsteps sounded from the hallway. Seconds later, three
large men sauntered into the room. Declan turned and greeted them.
One of them strode toward Lyle and clasped him in a quick, one armed man-hug. “It’s good to see ye
up and around, Lyle. We were all worried.”
Lyle grinned at Cliff MacDougal. “Don’t worry. I’ll be back at poker to take your money in no time,”
he promised.
“That’s good to hear, man,” Cliff replied with a grin, “but it’s me who’ll clean ye out.”
“You can try,” Lyle quipped. “You can try.”
He turned when he heard whispered words between Declan and another dark-haired man. Seeing that
he’d caught his gaze, the alpha paused and introduced the other two men. “This is Shane Alvaro, my
beta, and this is Nick Greely. Nick and Cliff are both trackers for the pack.”
Lyle held out a hand, shaking each in turn. “Nice to meet you,” he replied automatically.
Shane’s grip tightened slightly, not releasing his hand, and Lyle’s gaze narrowed as he searched the
other man’s brown eyes. “What?” he snarled.
A low rumble from Shane’s throat raised Lyle’s ire higher, and he could feel his beast hiss in anger.
“Just because you’re not officially pack yet, doesn’t mean you can disrespect me,” Shane growled.
It took several seconds for Lyle to push back the anger and realize just what the other man meant.

Shit! Declan introduced him as his beta. Much to his monitor’s irritation, Lyle forced
whispered
offense.”
his gaze down, dropping eye contact, and roughly, “My apologies, beta. I meant no
“Accepted,” Shane replied gruffly.

Declan cleared his throat, drawing everyone’s attention, but he looked at Lark when he spoke.

“We’re going to the office to conference call with Carson. Will ye bring us some sandwiches, please,
baby?”

Although it was posed as a question, they all knew it wasn’t, but Lark didn’t seem to mind the

order. “Sure thing, stud,” Lark said, pecking Declan’s lips before dancing— yeah, he actually danced
—around the kitchen and started pulling out more turkey and bread. The four wolves strode from the
room.

“Hey,” Lyle murmured, going to the counter and helping to make more sandwiches. “Where’s

Carson? I thought he was part of the forest rangers.”

Lark flashed him a smile. “He’s also a wolf. Grady found information that there could have been

another sect of scientists doing experiments years ago in Georgia. Carson is down there trying to find
out more.”

“He’s a wolf, too?” He paused where he was slathering mayonnaise on a slice of bread. “How

the hell did I miss that?”

Laughing lightly, Lark nodded. “Yeah. They’re all over the place, huh?”

“That they are,” Lyle whispered. He’d only met the big Native American a couple times, but Grady
had never mentioned he was a shifter, too. Maybe it had to do with the other man’s reclusive nature.
Grady probably didn’t feel he had the right to share that information.
He heard the slamming of the door again, but this time it was the wonderful scent that seized up his
mind, making his hand pause over the slice of bread he held. He dropped the knife and bread on a
plate and turned just as Todd walked into the kitchen. A sound more like a hiss than a growl escaped
his throat as he stalked toward his mate and swept him into his arms. He lowered his head and
claimed Todd’s lips in a deep, spine-tingling kiss. Lyle savored the little wolf’s taste as he
responded enthusiastically, and their tongues tangled.
Wolf whistles and laughter finally broke through Lyle’s lustful haze. Lifting his head, he realized
Todd now rested on the counter and he stood between the man’s legs, their bodies plastered together
with his arms wrapped around the wolf. He rested his head against Todd, struggling to catch his
breath. He smiled. “Welcome home, my angel.”
“Thanks,” Todd whispered, a grin splitting his kissswollen lips.
After he felt certain his and Todd’s erections weren’t completely noticeable in their jeans, he helped
Todd off the counter. “What can I say? I was really happy to see him.”
Lark laughed and picked up the plate. “Yeah. Really, really happy. You all get out of here and enjoy
your picnic,” he added with another laugh before he headed down the hall with the plate and a twelve
pack of beer.
“I need to change real quick before we head out,” Todd said.
“Sure. We’ll meet you on the porch,” Lyle replied, giving him one more kiss before he let him go.
Todd scampered from the room and bounded up the stairs. Lyle smiled after him, watching him go.
A hand on his back caught his attention, and he turned to see a smirking Grady. “That was quite a
sight,” he teased.
Lyle flipped him off and grabbed the basket. “Let’s go.” He heard laughter behind him and couldn’t

stop the grin. Yeah, he’d given them a hell of a sight and didn’t feel any remorse about it.
He heard the other two men’s footsteps and paused to look at them. Grady had an arm wrapped
around Gordon, and his head was bent to whisper something into the other man’s ear before he
nuzzled it. To his surprise, Gordon shook his head and frowned at the tiger shifter.
“Tell him,” Gordon ordered.
He saw the slight tension fill Grady’s shoulders and he nodded once. Turning to Lyle, Grady told him,
“Bobby Truman stopped into the office today.”
The name had his brows lifting. “Oh, I should have thought to contact him. Is he okay?”
“He seemed fine,” Grady said slowly. He opened his mouth, clearly hesitating. Lyle lifted a brow,
prompting Grady to admit, “This isn’t the first time he’s dropped by.”
Lyle groaned. “Shit! This complicates things,” he grumbled, running a hand over his face. He didn’t
know what the hell he’d tell his ex-boyfriend…well, soon to be exboyfriend, since they’d never
actually broken up. Lyle really thought Bobby would have just moved on when he disappeared. The
younger man was such a party boy.
“Hey, is everything all right?”
Todd’s voice made Lyle turn to face the doors. The shorter man now wore comfortable looking blue
jeans and a green polo shirt. He held out his arms, suddenly needing to hold his mate. To his eternal
gratitude, Todd didn’t hesitate to come to him. He wrapped him up, ducked his head, and tucked his
nose into Todd’s neck. Inhaling deeply, he breathed in Todd’s relaxing scent.
Todd’s hands rubbed his back and he purred, “Hey, handsome. What’s wrong?”
“I’m fucking cheating on my boyfriend with you.” Lyle shuddered, unable to believe those words
actually came out of his mouth. When Todd tensed, he forced his head up so he could see the shorter
man’s face. “I’m so sorry.”
To his surprise, Todd cupped his cheek. “No. It’s my fault. I knew you had a boyfriend before you
were taken, and it didn’t even occur to me to say anything. I—” He dipped his chin and broke eye
contact. “I’m sorry.”
Lyle shook his head. “Even if you knew I’d been seeing someone, I came at you pretty strong. There
was no way for you to know I hadn’t broken up with Bobby before getting kidnapped.” He crooked a
finger under Todd’s chin and lifted his face so he could stare into his angel’s eyes. “I’ll fix this. I
don’t want anyone but you.” He wouldn’t allow Todd to break their gaze until the pretty man nodded.
“Well, then,” Grady said, drawing their attention. “No time like the present.” He pulled out his cell
phone and dialed a number. “Bobby Truman? Yes, this is Detective Stryker. I need you to meet me at
this address in twenty minutes.” After rattling off an address Lyle didn’t recognize, he paused before
saying, “Yes, that’s right. I’ll see in twenty.”
Hanging up his phone, he glanced around at the group. “Well, it looks like our picnic has been
delayed for an hour. We’ll take Gordon’s sedan.”
“Where the hell are we going?” Lyle asked, shocked at the sudden turn of events.
“My offices,” Gordon replied, grabbing the picnic basket from where Lyle rested it on a table. “I’ll
put this away for when we get back.”
A surreal feeling settled over Lyle as he allowed a tense Todd to lead him to the car and help him
inside. A soft kiss on his cheek jump-started his brain. Lyle turned and smiled at Todd. Yes, I’ll
definitely fix this.

Chapter Eight

odd kept his hand wrapped in Lyle’s, praying that his mate’s words were true. That Lyle wanted

Todd and not this human they were going to see. He’d been so happy to get home, feeling ecstatic by
the welcome he’d received from Lyle, and now this.

They pulled up to a small business complex where Gordon kept his psychiatrist practice, and they

all piled out. Gordon let them into the building and they settled onto the couches in the waiting room.

To his surprise, and immense relief, Lyle pulled Todd onto the couch next to him and wrapped an

arm around his waist, tucking him close. Lyle buried his nose into the crook of Todd’s neck and
nuzzled his skin. Todd wrapped a hand around Lyle’s neck and massaged it gently. “Everything
okay?” he asked tentatively.

Lyle lifted his head and smiled, warmth filling his eyes. “It will be. I find your scent relaxing.”

“That’s as it should be,” Todd whispered.
Cocking his head, Lyle asked, “What do you mean?”
“Our mate’s presence relaxes us when Gordon explained, then smirked. “Or it distraction.”
A lecherous grin lit up Lyle’s face as he gazed at Todd. “I can certainly believe that.”
Before he could formulate a reply, a knock on the door we’re upset,” drives us to caught everyone’s
attention. He couldn’t stop his body from tensing as Grady rose and opened the door. This time it was
Lyle’s turn to soothe, lifting his arm and gripping his neck, massaging gently. Todd settled back
against the couch, pressing more firmly into Lyle’s comforting grip.
Todd had to admit, the man who stepped through the door could only be described as hot, in a cute,
twinky kind of way. He stood five-foot-eight, had thick black hair cut into an artfully messy do, and
vibrant green eyes. His slender body moved with a dancer’s grace.
The human glanced around the room. When his gaze landed on Lyle, his eyes rounded and he rushed
forward. He dropped to his knees and reached for Lyle’s hand. Todd had to bite back a growl as
Bobby touched his mate.
“Oh, God, Lyle, I’ve been so worried!” His big, green eyes swept over Lyle’s face. “You’ve lost
weight. What happened? Where have you been?” he whispered, reaching a hand up to touch his face.
Todd couldn’t stop the growl that rumbled through him at that point. The sight of this human touching
Lyle so intimately sent jealousy unlike anything he’d ever felt before rushing through his system.
Bobby’s shocked gaze landed on him, and Todd leaped to his feet. He wrapped his arms around his
midsection and stalked to the other side of the room before his wolf could do something they’d both
regret.
“Todd!” Lyle’s surprised voice echoed across the room.
He glanced back and saw Lyle standing in front of the couch. For a second, his concerned gaze
focused on him before dropping to the young man still gripping his hand. Gordon rose and crossed to
Todd. The elephant shifter dropped a hand to his shoulder and squeezed gently. “It’ll be fine, Todd,”
he softly reassured.
Lyle stiffened at seeing the contact, then looked at Bobby and grimaced. “Bobby, I was kidnapped and
tortured by a group of people from one of my cases. I can’t tell you more about them because the case
isn’t closed.” He lifted a hand and cupped Bobby’s face. “This is hard for me,” he whispered. “We’d
only been dating a couple months. We hadn’t even discussed being exclusive.”
Bobby’s jaw dropped, and he jerked away from Lyle. “Oh. Oh, I guess…I guess I just assumed…”
He turned and headed toward the door, a frown creasing his brow.

“Wait,” Lyle cried, lunging forward. He grabbed Bobby, wrapped his arms around him, and crushed
the human’s back to his chest. The move made Todd cringe, but his mate’s scent told him there was
nothing even remotely sexual about the embrace. Instead, it was meant to comfort, and only his
heightened senses allowed him to hear Lyle’s next words. “Even though we never discussed it, I was
faithful to you. There was no one else while we were dating.” Then he sighed. “Not until Todd.”
“Todd?” Bobby whispered, glancing to the left where Todd stood watching.
“Yes. He was at the hospital every day. Every time I managed to wake, he was there.” Lyle looked
over his shoulder at Todd, and something flashed behind his mate’s eyes. “He’s been through what I
have. Abuse. Experiments. He helped me cope. Helped me understand how to go on.” Lyle’s eyes
filled with tears, but he blinked them back. “I fell in love with him.”
Todd gasped, unable to believe what he’d heard. “You love me?”
“I do, Todd. You’re the angel that saved me.”
Bobby gripped Lyle’s arms, gently disengaging them and stepped out of his embrace. He turned to
face them and swallowed. “I’m glad you’re okay, Lyle.” He smiled and glanced between them. “And
for the record? I’m happy you’ve found love, but I think you should be holding him when you say
that.”
Lyle’s brows shot up, and he glanced around the room. “Really? Are you sure you’re okay?”
After taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly, Bobby’s smile turned understanding. “Yeah. Let’s
face it,” he added with a slight shrug, “We had fun together, but I got the feeling you were about done
with the bar scene stage of your life.”
Lyle smiled and nodded. “Thanks, Bobby.”
The slender brunet winked at Todd. “Take good care of him. He’s a keeper.”
Todd crossed to Lyle and wrapped an arm around his waist, his wolf finally settling. “I will.”
“There is one more thing, Bobby,” Grady said, stepping forward. “Don’t spread it around that you’ve
seen Lyle. It still may not be safe for him.”
Bobby’s eyes rounded. “Of course! I won’t say anything to anyone until I hear from you otherwise.”
Grady grinned. “Good man.”
They watched in silence as Bobby exited the building, climbed into his car, and drove away. After a
few seconds of silence, Todd tilted his head back and smiled up at Lyle. “I love you, too.”
Lyle’s grin lighted his brown eyes beyond anything than Todd had seen. Seconds later, the light turned
feral and his mate snarled, “Mine!” Then his lips crashed down on Todd’s and he found himself the
recipient of a long, slow, thorough kiss.
When it became imperative to breathe, Todd pulled his lips away. He found himself looking into
Lyle’s disgruntled face. He grinned. “Yeah, I’m yours.”
They would have continued to stare at each other for the gods knew how long but Grady slapped them
both on the back. “I’m glad we got that settled.” Grady’s look was serious as he stared at Lyle. “I
knew how seriously you took being faithful to a guy. I’m sorry it took me so long to say something. I
just…” He shook his head. “I wanted you to have a chance with Todd,” he finally finished with a
shrug.
Lyle stared at Grady for a moment before nodding. “I understand. I thank you, my friend.” Lyle
grabbed Grady and pulled him into a quick hug.
When they released, the tiger shifter grinned. “Is anyone else hungry? I’m ready for that picnic!”
Todd laughed, gave Lyle one more squeeze, more to assure his wolf than himself, and then nodded.
“Yup. I’m definitely hungry!”
Thirty minutes later had them all traipsing through the woods, Lyle and Gordon each carrying a

basket. Todd looked around at the trees, inhaling deeply. He grabbed Lyle’s hand and pulled him to a
stop. “Do you mind if I go for a run?”
From the startled expression that crossed Lyle’s face and then quickly cleared, Todd knew his mate
had been confused for a second as to his meaning. Then Lyle smiled and shrugged. “Sure.” He looked
at Grady. “When will we reach the clearing?”
Grady grinned. “Walking as humans, we’ll be there in about an hour.” He turned to Gordon, his look
suddenly hopeful.
Gordon chuckled, and waved a hand. “Go ahead, love.”
The look on Grady’s face appeared as if Gordon had granted him the greatest treasure in life, or
possibly given his cat a bowl of cream. Grady grinned. “I’ll run with you. It’s been a couple weeks
since I’ve gotten a chance to let my tiger out.”
Todd nodded. “Awesome.” He turned and kissed Lyle. He’d meant it as a quick peck, but instead his
mate pulled him close and deepened the kiss for several seconds before releasing him and resting his
forehead against his own.
“Stay safe, angel.”
“I will,” Todd promised.
“Don’t worry,” Grady said. “We’ll head toward Laremie’s Rock and then to the clearing. We’ll beat
you guys there easy!”
After Lyle released him, Todd quickly pulled off his clothes, folded them, and handed them to the
suddenly frowning man. He gave him a questioning look, and Lyle grimaced. “I guess it didn’t occur
to me that you’d have to get naked in front of others,” he growled.
“Oh,” Todd whispered. He reached up and traced Lyle’s face, smoothing out the lines. “It’s
something you’ll have to get used to, Lyle. Shifters aren’t big on modesty.”
Lyle blew out a breath and nodded. He pecked a quick kiss onto Todd’s lips and took the clothes.
“Have a fun run, angel.”
Todd smiled, took a few steps away, and called upon his wolf. The changes swept through him,
making his limbs pop, muscles contort, and skin ripple. Fur sprouted, and seconds later he shook out
his fur and settled it into place. Opening his eyes to the shades of gray around him, he yipped happily
and danced around his mate.
Laughing, Lyle buried his hands in Todd’s fur and ruffled it. “Go play, angel. I’ll see you at the
clearing.”
Todd chuffed once then headed toward the woods. Looking over his shoulder, he spotted the Bengal
tiger. The big cat growled low and then headed toward him. Todd shivered, always impressed by
Grady’s grace and power. When he bumped his large head into Todd’s side, it practically knocked
him over. Todd snapped playfully at the cat before tucking his tail close and taking off into the woods.
They’d been running for thirty minutes when the pain stabbed into his hip. He yipped in surprise, but
before he could figure out what had happened, his vision swam, his limbs grew heavy, and he
collapsed. Dimly he heard a roar, but couldn’t move his head to see what had happened to Grady. A
human loomed into Todd’s line of sight, one he recognized. Fear speared through him right before
unconsciousness descended.

Chapter Nine

ordon led the way through the woods, Lyle following close behind him. True to Grady’s

statement, it took them almost an hour to reach the clearing. When the trees broke, Lyle sucked in a
breath. He could feel his animal’s excitement upon seeing the river and waterfall. It was an odd
sensation. One he hoped he could learn to get used to.

The elephant shifter glanced over at him and grinned. From the look in Gordon’s dark gray eyes,

Lyle wondered what expression he saw on his face, then Gordon said, “I had the same reaction you
just did the first time Grady brought me here. Of course, that was because he was trying to get me to
lose control of my animal, so I’d let it out to play,” he added ruefully.

“How’d that work out for you?” He’d never heard of shifters not letting their animals out, but

what did he really know about it?

“I fought it trunk and tail,” Gordon replied, snorting as he headed across the clearing. He set

down the basket and blanket on a log and turned back to him. Lyle thought he saw a haunted look
flicker across Gordon’s features, but it was gone so fast he may have been mistaken.

“I didn’t grow up with shifters, so I didn’t understand that letting your animal out to romp in a safe

environment on a regular basis made it easier to control,” he explained. “Grady brought me here to
give my elephant a safe place to play. It’s done wonders for me.”

“Huh,” Lyle responded. He set down his own basket and crossed his arms. “So if you let your

animal out regularly, he’s easier to control.”

“Right.”

“Well, what if it hurts to let him out?” Lyle asked. “I’m supposed to allow myself to go through agony
every week just for an animal?”
Gordon smiled faintly. “The animal is part of you, Lyle,” he said. “The only reason it hurts is because
you fight the shift. Relax your mind and body. Give yourself over to the animal and it will be easier.”
“But if I give myself over to the animal, how can I control it?” he asked dubiously.
“You don’t control the shift,” Gordon explained. “The animal does. That’s why you hurt. Once the
shift is complete, then you exert control again.” The bigger man grinned suddenly. “Don’t ever tell
Grady I used this analogy, but it’s like training a tiger to perform in the circus. You gain your animal’s
trust, then it will obey on command.”
Lyle frowned. “Well, how do I earn its trust?”
“By not fighting its instincts,” Gordon answered. Lyle stared at the ground, trying to wrap his mind
around how to do that. The other shifter’s hand landed on his shoulder and squeezed gently. “I didn’t
say it was easy, but part of that instinct involves your mate.”
Letting out a slow breath, he nodded once. “I get what you’re saying.”
After a moment of silence, Gordon asked, “Can I ask why you’re waiting? You and Todd seem to fit
so well.”
From Gordon’s expression, Lyle knew the shrink wanted to say more, ask more questions, analyze his
answers. But Lyle felt grateful the man held his tongue. He smirked and said, “Part of it is the control
problem. I sure don’t want to cause Todd pain because of my lack of control.”
“Ah, well—”
“Hey, doc,” Lyle cut in, looking around the clearing. “Shouldn’t they have been here by now?”
“Yeah…” Gordon said, drawing out the word. “They should really have gotten here before us.”
“Do you know where the rock is that Grady was talking about?” Lyle supposed at some point he’d

become really familiar with the woods, but at the moment he’d be lost without Gordon.
He watched Gordon stare at the ground in thought for a moment before nodded. “I think I do. You
want to head that way?”
Lyle couldn’t explain his sudden unease, but something was telling him to find his mate. His eyes
widened in realization. “Shit. My animal really wants to go find Todd.”
“Well, I did say trust your instincts,” Gordon said. “Let’s go.”
He knew Gordon tried to sound lighthearted, but the big shifter didn’t quite pull it off. Evidently, Lyle
wasn’t the only one whose animal was jumpy.
They left the clearing, the pine trees closing around them again. Instead of being beautiful and
majestic, the forest now appeared sinister and cold as fear iced its way into Lyle’s heart. Gordon set
a fast pace, climbing over logs and shoving through brush, pushing them to move faster than an
average human could go.
Gordon stopped suddenly and Lyle almost ran into him. He opened his mouth to question him, but
Gordon held up a hand and he snapped his mouth shut. When Gordon took a long inhale through his
nose, Lyle followed his lead and did the same.
A faint lemongrass scent hit his nostrils and he snarled softly. “I know that scent.”
“So do I,” Gordon whispered. “Which way is it coming from?”
“You’re asking me?”
Gordon frowned. “Elephants aren’t known for their tracking abilities!” he hissed. “You’re a predator.
Trust your animal’s instincts!”
He glared at the canopy of branches above them for several seconds, before allowing his eyes to
close. Lyle inhaled again, slowly this time, taking in as much scent as he could. He had the sudden
urge to stick out his tongue. Following Gordon’s advice, he opened his mouth and trusted his animal.
Lyle’s tongue flicked out, almost of its own accord. Gordon gasped from next to him, but he ignored it
as he turned slowly in a circle, flicking his tongue out again and again. His eyes snapped open. “This
way.”
“Holy fuck,” Gordon whispered, following him closely. “I thought partial shifts only happened while
mating.”
“What do you mean?” Lyle asked distractedly. Why the hell did the man want to talk about shifting
now? They had mates to find!
“Because your tongue was forked. It was fucking freaky.”
Gordon’s muttered explanation froze Lyle in his tracks. He looked over his shoulder at the man and
saw his pale, shocked face. “No shit. It didn’t even hurt,” he commented in wonder. Then he
remembered why he’d been scenting in the first place. “I’ll worry about it later. Let’s go.”
It only took five minutes of hiking for Lyle to realize he could now smell Todd’s heady, earthy scent
as well. They crept forward, moving as swiftly as possible without making a sound. The forest had
gone still around them, telling them they weren’t the only ones who’d passed that way in the last few
minutes.
“There,” Gordon whispered, grabbing Lyle’s arm and halting his progress.
He peered through the trees. What he saw made his blood run cold. Three men were busy rolling
Grady’s unconscious tiger onto a large litter. Todd’s wolf was already fastened to a second, much
smaller litter.
“Hurry up, Terry,” one man ordered. “We need to get out of here before any of their friends realize
they’re gone.”
Lyle could feel his monitor pushing at his mind, trying desperately to emerge. A glance in Gordon’s

direction showed Lyle that the elephant wasn’t fairing much better. “What the hell are we going to
do?” Lyle snarled, anger pulsing through his veins.
“I’m not sure,” Gordon replied. “Their leader, Lemongrass, he’s not just a human anymore. Whatever
they’ve done to him has given him shifter strength and healing abilities. There’s no way to know about
the other two. Plus they have those damn tranq guns.”
A low hiss tried to rumble through him, but he shut it down, unwilling to give away their presence.
“Can your elephant get through these trees?”
It took a moment for Gordon to answer, but finally he replied, “Yeah. I’ll need to circle around to the
north before shifting though.”
“How many hits can you safely take?”
That got Gordon’s attention, and the other shifter turned to look at him. “No more than three. And
that’s if they don’t shoot me with an actual gun, if I can stay in animal form, and if you can get me to
Travis and Lark for detox.”
Lyle clenched his jaw. “Those are a lot of ifs.”
“Yeah,” Gordon whispered.
He could tell from the man’s tone that he didn’t like it either. Turning to Gordon, he caught the man’s
eye. “We can always follow and see where they take them.”
Gordon lifted his lip in a sneer. “No. I’d never be able to live with myself if I sat back and allowed
Grady to be captured. What’s your plan?”
“Good man,” Lyle replied. “I feel the same about Todd.” He let the outline of his plan firm up in his
mind as he took in the tree branches overhead. “After you walk me through shifting, head north and
give me a distraction. I’ll take care of the rest.”
That had Gordon’s large hand gripping his arm and drawing Lyle’s attention to his worried face. “Are
you sure?”
Hell, no!“Yes. I can do this.”
Gordon sucked in a breath as he stared at him. “Okay.”
They hiked a hundred yards away before Lyle stripped down and knelt. He remembered Declan’s
instruction to clear his mind and to feel for his animal. Gordon’s words cut into his concentration.
“You’re thinking too hard. Just relax. Let your lizard come to you. He’ll do the rest.”
As soon as he released the next slow exhale, he felt his monitor stretch in his mind. The monitor’s
presence expanded, gaining control. He struggled not to try to rein it in or control it, instead letting it
have free rein as it took over his body.
Instead of pain, warmth covered him as if he were stepping into a steam-filled room. He felt his
muscles pull, his bones shift, and his skull contort, but there was no pain, only an odd buzz, as if he’d
had a few beers. His body shivered and he opened his eyes. The vibrant colors that he associated
with being in his animal form exploded across his vision. Scents and sounds bombarded him. He
blinked, trying to make sense of everything. Pine and earth and sage mixed together with a hint of
water, and underneath that he caught his mate’s scent, but it had an acrid tinge to it that he recognized
instantly. Fear!
A low hiss escaped him, and he started moving, intent on getting to Todd.
“Whoa, Lyle! Hold it!”
The whispered command brought Lyle to a stop, and he swung his neck around to focus on the
speaker. His tail swished in agitation as he flicked his tongue out. The scent of a large mammal
crossed his tongue. Elephant. Gordon.
The circumstances came back to him, and Lyle reined in the monitor’s desire to charge toward Todd.

He reminded his animal of what was at stake. He hissed softly at the other shifter.
Gordon stared at him for a second before nodding. “Okay. Give me five minutes to circle around and
get into position. I’ll give you the distraction you need.”
It took Lyle a second to remind the monitor of what Gordon spoke about, then it bobbed its head in
semblance of a nod. Gordon took that as confirmation and began moving through the woods as quickly
as he could while still remaining silent.
Lyle couldn’t say he had much of a plan, but he headed back toward camp, trying not to cringe when
every animal fell silent as he passed. Flicking out his tongue, he lifted his head to look at the tree
canopy. Twisting his head this way and that, the monitor took in how the branches interlocked. He
crossed to a trunk and began to climb, digging his threeinch nails into the thick bark. He propelled his
massive, sinuous body up and up.
Maneuvering onto a branch, he scented the air before choosing a direction and headed toward the
strange human’s camp. It took him several minutes, but he didn’t hurry, knowing he needed to give
Gordon time to get around the camp and shift.
Finally, Lyle stared down at the camp. The humans had finally managed to get the tiger onto the litter
and were strapping him down. From the subtle shift in Todd’s scent, he realized his little mate was
beginning to wake. Flicking out his tongue, he tried to figure out where Gordon could be, but the
gentle breeze blew in the wrong direction.
He surveyed the area, and then slowly made his way through the trees. He watched one human shiver.
He looked up into the branches, surprisingly close to where Lyle moved. Freezing, he waited.
“What’s wrong with you, man? Tie that last strap,” one human said, smacking the arm of the one who
stared into the branches.
“I thought I heard something,” the watcher snapped back.
The first looked up into the trees, trying to follow his gaze. After a second he said, “I don’t see
anything.” He smacked the other’s arm again. “Hurry up. The sooner we get the tiger tied the sooner
we can get out of here.”
After another couple seconds staring into the trees, the other human dropped his gaze and returned his
focus to his work.
The bugle of an angry elephant startled everyone, including Lyle. He nearly lost his grip on the limb
where he perched. Regaining his focus, he glanced in the direction of the stomping creature before
checking the reaction of the humans below.
“Finish there,” Lemongrass shouted. “I’ll take care of this abomination!”
Lyle just managed to bite back his angry hiss at the altered human’s words, watching as he pulled a
gun from a holster at his hip. The other humans scrambled to obey. Lyle tensed, waiting for his
moment, and just as Gordon’s elephant came into view, crashing through the trees, snapping limbs and
breaking branches, Lyle leaped from his own branch, launching himself at the two humans still
hovering near Grady.
Pain rocked through his shoulder as he slammed into one man, his two hundred pound body propelling
him to the ground. A grunt and howl of pain erupted from the form beneath him. Lyle rose to his feet,
his claws sinking deep into the human’s chest. Panicked arms flailed at his body, but his thick hide
made the blows ineffective. Knowing the man’s flight instinct would take over as soon as Lyle
released him, Lyle rushed at the other human.
The human screeched, jerking backward from where he’d stood frozen, as if coming out of a stupor.
He reached for a gun at his belt. Before he could lift it, Lyle was on him, his jaws latching onto the
human’s outstretched arm. The bones snapped between his jaws, and the human howled and dropped

the gun. He swung at Lyle’s face, landing a hard blow just below his eye.
Lyle released the man’s arm and hissed, his mouth open and showing off his short, jagged teeth. The
sight from one eye showed the first human he’d attacked limping away and disappearing into the
forest, confirming his hypothesis. His other eye showed that Gordon had reached Lemongrass. He
saw the elephant swing his trunk and connect with Lemongrass, sending him sailing across the
clearing.
Movement from the human in front of him refocused Lyle’s attention. He was drawing a weapon from
behind his back. Before he could aim, Lyle pounced on him. Wrapping his jaws around the man’s
neck, he clamped down and yanked hard. Blood rushed between his teeth, filling his mouth and
flooding his jaws.
The taste excited him and disgusted him all at the same time. The sound of another dart gun’s release
drew Lyle’s attention. He released the dead human from his jaws and swung his head. He spotted
Lemongrass on the ground where he’d fallen, his gun still in hand. Gordon’s heavy body shook the
ground as he stumbled and fell.
Ignoring the pain in his shoulder, he rushed across the clearing, growling and hissing. Lemongrass
lifted his gun again, but Lyle leaped sideways, dodging the dart. He swung his massive tail,
Lemongrass slammed into
knocking the man’s chest. the dirt again, the weapon skittering from his grip. Lyle rushed forward,
reared up on his hind legs, and dropped his weight solidly down on Lemongrass, pinning him to the
ground. His jaws gaped as he prepared to latch onto his neck and crush it.
“Lyle, stop!”

Chapter Ten

odd knew he wasn’t dreaming. In fact, he couldn’t have been more proud, because if he had to

guess, Lyle had figured out how to at least sort of accept and control his animal. At least Todd knew
he’d feel proud if he could actually focus for more than two seconds. His head still spun from the
damn drugs the bastard humans injected into him.

Lyle swung his head around to face him, but kept his front legs firmly on Lemongrass’s chest. The

massive lizard hissed, but it didn’t sound quite as aggressive as the sounds Todd had heard a few
minutes ago. It sounded almost questioning. Struggling to his knees, he looked at where his mate
pinned the man who’d almost succeeded in capturing him a second time.
“I’m okay,” he managed to whisper.

He looked around the clearing and spotted Gordon, still in elephant form. He lay on the ground,

but his head was up. The dilation of the shifter’s eyes told Todd that he’d been hit at least once. “You
going to be okay, Gordon?” he asked, knowing the elephant had already had a dangerous reaction
when the foolish scientists had overdosed him on their chemicals.

Relief flooded him when Gordon gave a slow nod. Taking a deep breath, Todd settled on his

hands and knees and crawled toward Grady. He found the tiger still out like a light. Carefully, he
unbuckled the metal straps and removed the one holding down Grady’s head from the litter.

Dragging the short strap, he moved slowly toward the man Lyle still held down. When he saw

Todd coming, Lemongrass began to struggle. Lyle snarled angrily, and the man’s movements stilled.
His eyes widened and his breathing quickened. Todd grinned coldly, knowing it didn’t reach his eyes.
“My alpha will have some questions for you,” he said.

“You won’t get anything from me,” the man sneered, but his voice wavered slightly. The man’s

scent told Todd that Lemongrass feared them.

“We’ll see,” Todd replied, pushing the man’s arms behind his back and tying them together with

the metal strap. He had to admit, the piece of malleable metal was very impressive workmanship. He
wondered where they’d gotten it. Then again, maybe I don’t want to know.

Once he’d secured the man, he leaned back and rubbed his hands over Lyle’s leathery hide. “I

need you to go to Declan’s and get help, handsome.”

He could tell from Lyle’s snarl that he didn’t like that idea, and he swung his head to where the

body of a human sprawled. Todd glanced around, finally realizing that one human was missing. He
grabbed the dart gun Lemongrass had dropped and brandished it in the air. “I’ll be careful. Wolf
hearing is very acute. If someone comes, I’ll know it.”

Lyle snarled again, his gaze swinging between the trussed human and the other human’s body.

Todd rolled his eyes. “We weren’t looking for them. Now I am.” He rubbed Lyle’s head. “Please,
Lyle. You’re the only one that can go. Your animal can find the way.”

After another hiss, the monitor’s large head nuzzled Todd’s chest. Then Lyle turned and

disappeared into the woods. Todd shivered, but he knew it was more to do with almost being caught
again rather than the chill in the air. Still, the desire to find warmth had him once more calling on his
wolf. He prowled around the clearing, grabbing the dart guns with his teeth and setting them next to
Grady’s still sleeping form. Gordon struggled to his feet and crossed to his mate, carefully lying back
down and idly stroking the tiger’s fur with his trunk. Todd lay down beside the pair, working hard to
stay alert and watch their prisoner.

He didn’t know how much time passed, but the sounds of rustling caught his attention. Lifting his

nose, Todd scented the breeze. Relief flooded him as he recognized that his alpha accompanied his
mate. Todd let out a howl, joy filling him when it was returned by three others.

When they appeared in the clearing, led by his mate, Todd recognized Declan’s large brown wolf,

Cliff’s black wolf and Shane’s gray wolf. If he’d had the energy, he would have jumped up to greet
them. Instead, he realized he could barely maintain a sitting position. Lyle crossed to him and rubbed
his head against him. Todd returned the affection wholeheartedly. That is, until his lids began to
droop, the adrenaline that had sustained him depleted. He dropped his head, letting out a sigh.

He listened to Declan order Cliff to take their prisoner to the road. From their conversation, Todd

realized they were only a few hundred feet from an access road used by the forest rangers, and Lark
was bringing Grady’s truck.

Hands running through his fur made him shiver, and Lyle’s scent surrounded him. “Hey, angel,”

Lyle murmured. “How are you holding up?”
Todd whined, rested his head in Lyle’s lap, and let his mate’s soothing touch carry him into sleep.

At first, when consciousness returned, Todd thought they were still in the woods, because his

head still rested on Lyle’s lap and his mate’s fingers still caressed his fur. But then the soft bed
underneath him registered as well as Travis’s scent.

He opened an eye and found the veterinarian leaning over him, ready to insert a needle into his

shoulder.
“Wait,” Lyle commanded softly. “He’s coming around.”
Todd whined before turning his head and licking the hand that stroked him.
Lyle smiled. “Welcome back, angel. I’ve been worried about you.” Then he grimaced. “And Phillip
is downstairs ready to barge up here and throttle me for allowing something to happen to you,” he
added ruefully.
If he’d been in human form, Todd would have rolled his eyes. Human form…Todd initiated the shift.
Seconds later, naked and happy to be alive and in Lyle’s arms, he grinned up at his mate. “Thank
you.”
To his surprise, Lyle hissed angrily, the sound very similar to what his animal made. Lyle grabbed the
comforter and pulled it over Todd, hiding him from the other man in the room. Todd forced down his
sigh.
“Eventually, you’ll have to get used to the fact that shifters don’t have much modesty,” Travis pointed
out, even though he took several steps back from the bed.
Todd could hear Lyle force out a breath. “I’m sorry, Travis,” he ground out. “I can’t seem to control
this jealousy sometimes.”
Travis smirked. “Well, Rainy tells me that the feeling never truly dissipates, but if you claim your
mate it becomes more manageable.”
“That’s something I plan to remedy very shortly,” Lyle snapped.
Todd blushed and opened his mouth to tell Lyle that he shouldn’t feel pressured to claim him. He
knew Lyle was still human at heart and needed time, even if it made his wolf whine in sadness.
Travis crossed his arms over his chest and cut him off by asking, “How are you feeling, Todd?”
He took a moment to take stock of his body. The buzzing in his head was gone, so was the lethargy in
his limbs. As a matter of fact, the only thing he felt right now was grateful. “Good. Happy to be here,”
he replied frankly.
“We’re happy you’re here, too,” Travis said, while hefting his travel bag.
Todd held up a hand, making the other man pause. “How are Grady and Gordon?”
Travis smiled. “They’ll be fine. Grady was pumped up with quite a bit more drugs than you, but Lark

is detoxing him. Gordon was hit with a couple darts, and since they weren’t expecting him, it looks
like they were loaded for wolf, not elephant. It was enough to bring him down, but not knock him
out.” The veterinarian smiled. “He’ll be fine, too.”
“Oh, good,” Todd said, letting out a sigh of relief. Then he frowned. “What happened to
Lemongrass?”
“I overheard Lark telling Gordon that Declan and Shane took him to a little used Ranger house deep
in the forest. They’re interrogating him.” He grimaced. “Glad I don’t have to witness that,” he
muttered.
Todd knew the necessity of his alpha’s actions, but he still shuddered. “Yeah, me neither, but the
information he could give us will be invaluable. We still know so little about them,” he added. Seeing
the veterinarian unable to meet his eyes, Todd forced a smile and changed the subject. “So am I going
to be all right?”
He could hear the relief in Travis’s voice when he said, “I give you a clean bill of health.”
“Good,” Lyle growled, pulling him close.
Travis grinned, winking lasciviously. “I’ll let everyone know you’re fine and need a few minutes. Try
to keep it down. I know how wolves like to howl.”
Lyle barked out a laugh as Travis let himself out of the room. Todd felt heat creep up his neck, and he
glanced up at his mate before focusing on his fingers. “You don’t have to claim me just because…”
He blew out a breath. “We can wait until you’re ready.”
“I’m sorry I blurted it out like that, angel,” Lyle whispered. He settled down on the bed, taking Todd
with him. Tucking his face into the crook of Todd’s neck, he nuzzled the sensitive skin behind his ear.
“I wanted it to be a private moment, not broadcasted amongst the wolves.”
“What do you— What do you mean?” Todd managed to ask. He wrapped his arms around Lyle’s
neck, sinking his fingers in the man’s hair and tilting his head to give him more access. Teeth nibbled
the tender flesh where his neck met shoulder and Todd’s wolf howled with the desire for its mate to
claim him.
“I mean,” Lyle whispered, “I plan to claim you very shortly, my angel.”
Todd didn’t know if it was the warmth of Lyle’s breath ghosting over the fine hairs on his neck or if it
was the man’s words, but a shudder rocked him. His cock filled so fast it left him dizzy, and he
moaned.
He could feel Lyle smile against his neck, heard the mirth in his words. “You like the sound of that,
don’t you, Todd?”
“Oh, yes!”
“Good,” Lyle growled.
Suddenly, Todd found himself on his back with two hundred pounds of possessive, horny shifter
rutting against him. The pressure of Lyle’s hard shaft against his own felt exquisite, but he loathed the
sleep pants separating them.
He bucked his hips and whined, “Off. Take them off!”
Lyle pulled away and stripped the clothing. Todd heard cloth tearing, and his mate’s hurried actions
told him of Lyle’s excitement, ratcheting up his own need. Climbing back on the bed, Lyle reached up
and pulled the lube out of the nightstand and dropped it next to Todd’s hip. Then without warning,
Lyle latched onto one of Todd’s nipples and sucked hard.
The teeth nipping his flesh made his body bow as he whimpered and tried to get closer to that
delicious heat. Fingers wrapped around his other nipple and pinched. The dual sensations went
straight to his cock, and he could feel a drop of pearly essence drip from the head.

“So sweet. So responsive,” Lyle crooned against his flesh. He switched sides, wrapping his lips
around the other bud and placed one hand on the other nipple. Todd had no idea how Lyle did it one
handed without seeing, but he heard the snap of the lube bottle and then Lyle’s other hand reached
between his legs. Feeling the cool slick rub over his heated flesh sent a fissure of pleasure through
Todd. He opened his legs wider and bucked his hips, trying to get that finger inside him. Lyle popped
off the nipple he worked and grinned wickedly at Todd. His other hand moved to Todd’s hip and he
held him still while he gently rubbed the wrinkled guardian muscle.
“Oh! Oh, please!” Todd whined, his fingers clutching the sheets as his cock jerked and waved in the
air between them, another drop of pre-cum oozing from his slit.
Instead of entering him, Lyle continued to torture his opening as he bent down and slowly licked
Todd’s cock from bottom to top like a popsicle, stopping to press his tongue into the slit and dig for
more juice. Lyle wrapped his lips around just the head and sucked gently as he played with the
sensitive skin under Todd’s cap with his tongue.
When that finger playing with his ass finally sank into his clenching channel, it immediately zeroed in
on his prostate. The dual sensations were too much, and Todd’s balls pulled tight. “Gonna…
gonna…” he tried to warn.
Lyle hummed and sank down on Todd’s cock. His head hit the back of Lyle’s throat, and Lyle lifted
his gaze to stare at Todd through his lashes. Then the bigger man swallowed, massaging the head of
Todd’s dick and it all became too much. Todd threw his head back and howled as his cock pulsed
and shot stream after stream of seed into Lyle’s mouth.
The other man pulled off slightly, swallowing quickly, making certain he didn’t miss a drop. Feeling
Lyle lick him clean left Todd panting. “That was…that was…”
“Just the beginning,” Lyle crooned.
Todd glanced down in surprise as Lyle began to nibble his way down the tender flesh of his inner
thigh. The gentle nips and licks, coupled with the fingers stretching his ass and massaging his prostate
every few strokes had Todd’s cock filling again.
“Play with your nipples, Todd.”
The command in Lyle’s voice had Todd’s wolf rolling to its back in his mind and showing its belly.
He’d always loved a dominant lover, and to have his mate know exactly what he needed left him
mentally singing Fate’s praises. Obeying the man, Todd reached up and tweaked his already swollen
buds. Pleasurable pain shot from his chest straight to his cock.
Lyle must have felt his hole spasm because he stopped where he nibbled the tender flesh behind
Todd’s knee and grinned up at him. “I love how responsive you are, mate. I bet I could make you
come just by playing with your nipples, couldn’t I? Would you like that?”
Todd’s eyes locked on Lyle as the monitor shifter reared up and leaned over him, giving him a clear
view of Lyle’s dripping cock. He whined, wanting a taste.
Giving him a feral smile, he growled, “Oh, yes. You do like that thought, don’t you?” Todd nodded
absently, watching as Lyle gripped his own dick and started to slowly stroke it in time with the
fingers in Todd’s ass. “I could kneel right here and finger your ass. You’d lie there and take it,
because I told you to. Wouldn’t you, Todd?”
He was so turned on he could barely speak. “Yessss,” he hissed.
“Excellent,” Lyle purred. He leaned closer and blew warm air over the head of Todd’s cock. Moving
back again, his dark eyes fixed on Todd’s and he growled, “Come.”
As if he were wired to obey, Todd’s cock erupted. Cum flew from his slit, painting his stomach, chest
and fingers where they still played. Flying so high on endorphins, Todd barely registered when Lyle

pulled his fingers free, lined up his cock, and slammed home in one smooth thrust.
Lyle didn’t stop, but quickly pulled out and rammed back into Todd. “Look at me, angel,” Lyle
ordered, and Todd obeyed. He wrapped his arms around Lyle and held him tight as the monitor shifter
thrust into him over and over. “You’re mine, Todd. My mate.”
“I’m yours,” Todd croaked out, the hot look in Lyle’s eyes making his spent cock twitch.
Lyle grinned. “I’m going to claim you, Todd. Are you ready?”
Joy flooded his system, and his struggling dick filled again at the thought. “Please claim me,” he
begged.
Taking him at his word, Lyle wrapped his jaws around the flesh where his neck met shoulder and bit.
More than just canines sank into his flesh, holding him in place as Lyle plunged into his ass over and
over. The extra teeth sent just the right spike of pain through Todd to mix with his pleasure, and his
balls tightened and filled his cock with cum one more time. Howling his joy, Todd erupted again. He
felt Lyle follow him over that edge, flooding his ass with his essence. He hummed his pleasure as
spots danced behind his eyes.
Before Lyle had even managed to pull out, Todd smiled and slid into a contented sleep.

Chapter Eleven

yle dozed, letting his mind drift in and out of consciousness. At one point while he was awake, he

nuzzled his face into the nape of Todd’s neck, breathing in the heady scent of his mate. He couldn’t
believe the difference in his animal,

transferred to his own

how satisfied it felt, which comfort. His arms tightened
marginally as he pulled Todd just a bit closer before nodding off again.

A roar of anger jerked Lyle out of his satisfied slumber. Loud noises and raised voices coming

from the main floor had him leaping out of bed and grabbing a pair of jeans from a drawer. His cop
instincts kicked in and he searched for his gun, until he remembered he didn’t have one here. Instead,
he now had an animal.

He remembered the experience in the woods, where he’d had to track down his mate. Reaching

inside himself, he relinquished some control, and seconds later, his monitor talons grew from his
fingers and his tongue flicked out of his mouth, scenting.

A gasp from the bed caught his attention and he turned to find Todd staring at him in shock. For a

second, he wondered if it was revulsion, but then Todd reached out and grabbed his hand. He flipped
it over, staring at it. “That’s amazing, Lyle!” he whispered. “I’ve never seen anything like this!”

Lyle ducked his head and pecked Todd’s lips. “Glad you like it, angel,” he said. “Please stay

here.”
“No way,” Todd snorted, rejecting his words. “I’ll stay behind you, but don’t expect me to stay up
here!”
He wanted to deny his mate’s words and lock him in the bedroom, but Lyle was smart enough to
realize that that would cause nothing but trouble later. Giving a sharp nod, he conceded. “Stay behind
me then.”
He headed out of the room, keeping one eye on his mate until he felt certain Todd would really do as
he said. Angry words echoed through the house. He waved a hand, silently telling Todd to keep low.
He carefully peeked over the ledge, and more words told him that the voices were coming from the
office.
After a glance backwards, he swung over the ledge and dropped lightly to the ground, feeling grateful
for his increased strength and agility. Lyle rushed down the hall and slammed the door open, his
claws at the ready.
His gaze landed first on a crying Drake Whitton, his choking hiccups making the most noise.
Dismissing the distressed human, he turned and spotted an enraged Doctor Carmichael facing down
Declan. For his part, the alpha wolf kept his temper in check, even as the doctor leaned into his space
and waved a finger in his face.
Both men registered his presence at the same time, and Lyle found himself the recipient of an angry
panther shifter and a frowning wolf shifter. “You!” Ailean roared. “You brought this on us!”
Having no idea of what the other man spoke, he met Ailean’s attack with equal aggression. He ducked
beneath Ailean’s wild punch and slammed his shoulder into the doctor’s midsection, driving him back
with all the power he could muster. He grabbed the arm the other man swung at him, twisted under
and around and pinned it to Ailean’s back. Keeping his grip, he shoved forward and slammed the man
face first into the wall.
He heard Ailean snarl, Drake scream and Todd shout. Lyle stilled, keeping just enough weight on the

doctor to hold him in place. “Your mate saved my life, so I’m giving you the chance to tell me why
the hell you attacked me.”
Suddenly, he felt arms wrap around his bicep. Without loosening his hold, he found Drake’s teary-
eyed gaze. “Please, please don’t hurt him. It’s not his fault. It’s their fault. This is all their fault!”
Still the words made no sense, but Lyle realized they needed to talk. He eased away from Ailean. He
grabbed Todd, who had kept his word and still stood behind him, and pulled him further away from
the pair. “What’s going on?”
Watching warily, he saw Ailean push away from the wall and straighten his shirt before rubbing his
shoulder. “I apologize. Drake is right. This is not your fault.”
“Tell them what’s happened, Ailean,” Declan ordered softly.
Ailean pulled his mate close and tucked his face against his chest. “Drake and I went to Denver to see
his sister.” He smiled sadly. “We both want a family and she’s agreed to carry our child for us.” He
bit back a sob of his own, and Declan folded them into a hug.
“Congratulations,” Declan whispered. “When we get Dagus back, he’ll be just as happy for ye.” He
said. “Ye’ll see.”
The name rang a bell, but Lyle couldn’t remember where he’d heard it before. “Who’s Dagus? And
what the hell happened to him?”
Ailean lifted his head. “When we got home from Denver this morning, we found Kyle Giovanni dead
on the kitchen floor and Dagus gone. This was left on the refrigerator.”
He held out a scrap of paper and Lyle took it. “We have someone you want,” he read, “and you have
someone we want. Bring Miach to our parking lot tomorrow night. Ten o’clock. No shifters. We’ll
trade.”
Everyone remained quiet for several seconds. Lyle’s jaw clenched and rage swept through him.
“Fucking bloody hell.” He glared at the others in the room. “Who the hell is Miach?”
“They want Lemongrass,” Declan growled. “Somehow they must have found out we’re holding him
prisoner. He must be pretty important to them.”
“There was a third man in the woods,” Todd whispered. “He fled and didn’t come back. He must
have reported what happened.”
“I’ll go. I’ll make the trade,” Lyle declared. He saw several open their mouths to protest, and he
swiped a hand through the air. “They don’t know that Drake saved my life. They think I’m dead! I’m
the best chance you have. They said no shifters, and they don’t know that I am one.”
After several long moments of silence, he became aware of Todd trembling at his side. Lyle turned to
find his mate’s worried eyes fixed on him. “I just found you,” Todd whispered. “I don’t want anything
to happen to you.”
Lyle smiled and kissed him, slow, deep, and tender. “Nothing will happen to me. Nothing will keep
me from returning to your arms.”
Todd gave him a small smile and whispered, “I’m going to hold you to that.”
After a second of nuzzling, Declan cleared his throat. “I don’t bloody care what that note says. Me
pack will expect blood compensation for the loss of their brother. We will have shifters close at
hand.” Drake opened his mouth to protest, but Declan’s wolf-like snarl had him snapping it shut. “Ye
don’t think we know how to be quiet, Drake? No one will even know we’re there!”

Lyle took the vest from Grady and wrapped it around him. “Don’t do anything foolish,” his

partner growled.
He grinned. “You know me.”
“Exactly,” Grady snarled.

Lyle smiled. “Don’t worry. Between me, my monitor and this vest we’ll be just fine.” He rapped his
knuckles on the hard plates. “See? No darts or bullets to the chest. They’re not expecting anything but
a human. Besides,” he added, smirking, “you always back me up.”
Grady’s frown and sigh surprised Lyle. Concern filled the big tiger’s eyes when he lifted his gaze. “I
failed you once. It won’t happen again, old friend,” Grady vowed.
Realization set in and Lyle pulled Grady into a tight hug. “Relax, big man,” he grunted. “That wasn’t
your fault. We’ll make these fuckers pay.” He could hear the hiss take over his voice, but did nothing
to stop it. He knew his animal needed to express its irritation, and this was a safe way to do it.
Pulling back, he zipped up the vest, pulled his jacket over it, and headed to his car. In the back seat of
the Toyota Corolla, he could just make out the form of Miach Barolla. Lyle settled into the driver’s
seat and inhaled. “Lemongrass,” he muttered. He knew the man had undergone experiments, but he
wondered if that was his original scent or if he’d acquired it after whatever tests he’d endured.
He looked into the rearview mirror and grinned. “You know what they’ve done to us if far more
inhuman than anything shifters have done to humans, right?”
For a second the man’s eyes widened in shock, but then he regained his composure and sneered. “You
don’t know what the hell you’re talking about. These creatures are abominations.”
Unwilling to give anything away, he just shook his head. “They’ve lied to you, Miach. I’m sorry.”
Without waiting for a reply, Lyle shoved the car into drive and slammed on the gas. It took just long
enough to get to the Crystal Lake Corporation’s building for his adrenaline to kick in full force. He
followed Drake’s directions and rolled into the parking lot, parking as close to the road as possible.
He wished for more trees as he slid from the vehicle, recognizing his monitor’s desire for cover. He
shared the sentiment. Shoving the thoughts away, he rounded the car, yanked open the back door, and
helped Miach from the vehicle. “Let’s get this over with,” he grunted.
Lyle placed a hand on Miach’s back and pushed him forward firmly, keeping a step behind the altered
human. He’d heard about the man’s healing abilities, and didn’t want to give the man the chance to
show off increased speed or strength. He paused halfway across the parking lot and grabbed the chain
between the man’s cuffed hands.
“Hold up. Let’s wait for your friends, shall we?”
His captive grunted. He glared over his shoulder at him. “Why do you care about these beasts? They
should all be exterminated.”
“Why? Because they’re different?” Lyle asked curiously. What lies have been told to this man?
“Because they’re a danger to the population,” he sneered.
Lyle barked out a laugh. “No they’re not. For the most part they keep to themselves and leave humans
alone. Your bosses have killed far more shifters over the years than shifters have killed humans,” he
pointed out. “How is what these scientists are doing any different than when the German’s
experimented on Jews in concentration camps?”
He couldn’t tell from the frown on the man’s face if Miach was actually thinking about his words. He
didn’t suppose it mattered anyway. The guy would disappear back into the scientist’s organization
soon enough.
“Come closer!” a voice called from the darkness.
“No. You come into the light.”
Lyle waited for several heartbeats and then two figures shuffled from the dark shadows to the left of
the building. He watched Dagus stumble, but the man holding a gun caught him before he could fall.
Lyle frowned, confused by the way the man cocked his head and stared at the sky, but then he
remembered what Drake had told him. His brother was blind. Dagus was focused on listening. Lyle

wanted to tear the scientist apart for involving someone who couldn’t even defend himself.
“Well, well, well. Detective Lyle Sullivan. So you managed to survive after all,” the man sneered.
“When you escaped and we couldn’t find where you’d gone, we were sure you’d crawled into a hole
and died. You certainly were close enough to it.”
“No thanks to you,” Lyle snarled, realizing this man must be one of the scientists. With a thickly
muscled body, military cut dark hair, and a coldly calculating gleam in his eyes, Lyle thought he might
remember the man, but he’d have to get closer to see the guy’s face better.
“So what did you end up with? Increased healing and strength like Miach, there? Increased speed or
agility?”
Unwilling to draw this out, and needing to get away from the human before he did something to
endanger Dagus Lyle growled, “Release Dagus.”
“No, I don’t think I will,” the man drawled, a gun appearing over Dagus’s shoulder. “I want to see
what my experiments have created.”
The dart hit Lyle’s leg before his brain even registered the weapon. A heavy lethargy swept up his
limb, spreading out like spider’s threads from the location of the wound. “Oh, hell no!” Lyle snarled.
His animal hissed angrily inside his mind, and Lyle agreed. The change came quickly, his clothes
tearing from his expanding form, and seconds later he found himself running swiftly across the twenty
yards separating them.
As he passed Miach, he swung his powerful tail and sent the other man flying back toward the car.
The scientist shoved Dagus to the side. The blind man tried to flail his arms to catch his balance, but
the rope around his wrists hindered him and he went down hard. Lyle hissed angrily at the poor man’s
treatment. He lunged forward the last stride as the guy tried to reload his gun, and he clamped his
jaws around the scientist’s neck.
The unmistakable crack of a rifle shattered his concentration, and agony exploded through his back.
Lyle jerked his head up and hissed out his pain to the dark shadows around them. He swung his long
neck around and stared at the oozing bullet hole that was dangerously close to his spine. Struggling to
control the hurt, he returned his focus to the man he pinned and realized the unexpected move had torn
out the scientist’s throat, but Lyle couldn’t drum up any remorse.
Howls exploded through the night, and Lyle knew the cavalry was coming. He struggled toward
Dagus. The human lay on his side, curled up in a fetal position. Before Lyle could drag his bleeding,
drugged body to the man, two men materialized from the darkness.
“Take him back inside,” the one with the gun ordered, pointing at Drake’s brother.
Lyle snarled and redoubled his efforts to drag himself to Dagus, desperate to protect the human. But
when the man leveled the gun on him, Lyle froze, knowing he couldn’t help Dagus if he were dead.
Anger poured through him, mostly at himself for underestimating these guys. They were obviously far
more organized than what he’d given them credit for.
“Don’t worry, Lyle,” the man said conversationally as he moved closer. “We don’t want you again.
Doctor Remus made too many mistakes with you, obviously. We certainly don’t want to make more
abominations,” he sneered. “You’ll have to turn human if you want any last words.”
Knowing he’d almost immediately succumb to darkness if he returned to his human form right now,
Lyle just hissed again as he watched the other guy toss a sobbing Dagus over his shoulder, impressive
really since Drake’s brother was taller and much more muscular. The fact that the man carrying Dagus
must also be altered flitted through Lyle’s drugged mind.
“Very well,” the gunman said, pointing the barrel at his head. “I’d much rather be inside before your
friends arrive.”

Lyle made one last effort and lunged forward, unwilling to just lie down and die. He had too much to
live for. But he fell short, his legs giving out. As the gunman laughed coldly, Lyle’s thoughts turned to
Todd, and he prayed Declan would care for his mate. For several long seconds he relived every
touch, every caress from his angel.
“It’s too late for escape.”
Lyle recognized the deep voice, and he opened eyes that he didn’t even realize he’d closed. Carson
held the struggling human in a choke hold. As the Native American’s dark eyes met Lyle’s over the
human’s shoulder, a chill went up Lyle’s spine, and he prayed he never ended up on the wrong side of
the wolf enforcer.
An audible snap sent a shiver of a different sort through Lyle as he watched Carson break the human’s
neck. With a last look of disdain, Carson released the body, ignoring it as it crumpled to the ground.
Instead he crossed to Lyle and knelt next to him. “This plan is shot to hell. Shift so I can get us out of
here. I may be stronger than a human, but even I can’t carry your lizard ass.
Trusting Carson to take care of him, Lyle willed his body to shift. Just as he’d feared, once the shift
was complete, darkness swamped him and he succumbed to unconsciousness.

Lyle smiled, enjoying the sensation of Todd running his fingers through his hair. “So nice,” he

whispered, surprised by how dry his throat was. And then why he lay in bed, again, came back to him
and he jerked his head around and shouted, “Dagus!”

Pain shot up his back and he froze. “Shit.”

“Lie still,” Todd ordered softly, carefully holding him in place on his side. “Take deep breaths and
the pain will pass.”
He followed his mate’s advice and slowly the pain seeped from him. This time he didn’t move as he
asked, “Did the wolves get to Dagus before he was taken back into the building?”
“I’m afraid not,” Todd replied. “We barely managed to keep Miach from getting away, too.” Todd
lowered himself so he was in Lyle’s line of sight. “And if you ever pull a stunt like that again, I will
smack you,” he vowed.
“He shot me in the leg. They’d always targeted the chest before.” From the look on Todd’s face, he
knew his mate wasn’t interested in excuses. “You’re right. No more oneman rescue attempts. After all
my years on the force, I should have known better.”
“Yes, you should have. Just because you’re a shifter now, it doesn’t mean you’re invincible. We run
in packs for a reason,” Todd scolded.
Lyle hazarded a nod, pleased that it didn’t send fresh waves of agony through him. “You’re right, my
angel.”
A soft knock on the door caught their attention and Todd called, “Come in.”
Declan entered, followed by Lark. “I’m getting tired of seeing you in here like this,” Lark ribbed
gently.
Lyle smiled slightly. “My mate just read me the riot act. I don’t need it from you, too.”
“Then stop doing this to yourself and I won’t have to,” Lark returned.
“You don’t have to tell me twice,” Lyle assured. “No more heroics from me.”
“Does that mean ye don’t want to be part of Dagus’s rescue party?” Declan asked, crossing his arms
over his chest and watching as Lark went about checking Lyle’s wound.
“When are you going in? Will I be well enough?” His gaze shifted between the two men, wondering
what Lark’s small nod at Declan meant.
Declan’s smile didn’t reach his eyes. “Lark seems to think ye will be. Carson is checking the building
out. It’s not too big, but it appears to have impressive security. It could take a couple days to figure

out a way inside.” He paused a second, a pained expression crossing his face. “The funeral for Kyle
is tomorrow evening. We’ll prepare a plan of attack the day after.”
“I hope Dagus can last that long,” Todd whispered.
“He didn’t appear injured,” Lyle commented. “I didn’t see any needle marks or anything, so maybe
because he’s blind they’re just keeping him as a bargaining chip. We do still have Miach, after all.”
Declan nodded. “We’re keeping Drake as comfortable as possible, but he’s pretty stressed out.
There’s not much more we can do right now.”
Lyle grimaced. “I’m sorry I failed.”
For a second Declan looked like he may say something, but then he just gave a curt nod and left the
room. Lyle looked toward Lark, hoping he could explain. Lark sighed. “He’s not upset with you, nor
does he blame you. He hates when someone outwits him, not to mention losing someone in his pack,
especially when on an assignment. Kyle didn’t have a mate, but he does have a sister. Comforting her
is taking a lot out of him.”
Lark patted his shoulder. “Your shifter healing means if you stay in bed, you’ll be good as new in a
couple days. Get some rest.”
After Lark left, Lyle held up a hand to Todd. “Lay with me. I want to hold you.” Todd looked over his
body, clearly uncertain. “Please,” Lyle pleaded.
Lyle shifted back on the bed as Todd carefully climbed on next to him. Todd lay on his back, and Lyle
draped over him, keeping any pressure off his back. He rested his head on his mate’s chest and
inhaled the smaller man’s wonderful scent. Taking Todd’s hand in his, he gave it a squeeze. “I thought
I was going to die,” he finally admitted.
“But you didn’t,” Todd whispered.
“No, I didn’t,” he said. “But at the time, you were all I could think about. All I wanted was to find a
way back to you.” Lyle turned his head and stared into Todd’s gorgeous brown eyes. “You’re my
guardian angel, even when you’re not there. I love you so much, Todd.”
Todd smiled down at him, the warmth in his eyes. “I will forever be in Carson’s debt, because he
brought you back to me. I love you, too, Lyle.”
Lyle let out a breath and allowed his body to relax. “Good, angel. That’s good.”
He felt Todd press a kiss to his forehead and smiled.
“I still plan to help get Dagus back,” he muttered.
“I’d expect nothing less,” Todd replied softly. “They are our friends, and our pack. Now, get some
sleep, handsome. You’ll be fine soon enough, and then I plan to remind you of all the reasons you
should stay healthy.”
Chuckling, Lyle nodded. “That sounds fantastic.” Safe in the arms of his angel and secure in the
knowledge of Todd’s love, Lyle fell asleep.

About the Author

Charlie lives on a mini ranchette in Utah with her handsome, supportive husband. She started

writing fantasy when she was eight, and after stumbling onto her first erotic romance at nineteen, she
realized her true calling. She now focuses on writing erotic romance, often of the paranormal variety,
with heroes and heroines of all kinds. You can often find her curled up with her laptop and a cup of
tea or glass of wine, creating her next story, which could pair a sexy hero with an adventurous
heroine…or maybe with another handsome hero. Charlie enjoys horseback riding, jump lessons with
Apache, watching movies with her husband, and listening to her muse tell her about her next project.

She can be reached at ch.richards2010@yahoo.com Or visit her at www.charlie-richards.com

Document Outline

Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven

Wolves of Stone Ridge 5 Finding Balance

Document Outline